Welcome to My House
by hilandmum
Summary: Sequel to Wait for me to Come Home When will House and Cameron finally move into their new home? Who will win the bidding war on the mansion, House or Wilson? Why has the number of flu cases spiked in their area of Maryland? Will Anita have enough evidence to indict Owen Marshall? Will she stay in Shelby with Remy Hadley? Will Hadley take over for House with the team? And more
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to My House

Welcome to my house  
Baby take control now  
We can't even slow down  
We don't have to go out  
Welcome to my house  
Play that music too loud  
Show me what you do now  
We don't have to go out  
Welcome to my house  
Welcome to my house

Chapter 1.

Cameron arrived first at the diner that evening and took her usual seat. Her hand went to the vials of vaccine in her pocket. Still there. She smiled at Linda when the waitress arrived to ask whether she wanted coffee or iced tea. "Linda, you have your ear to the ground here in Shelby. What do you know about Diane Bancroft? She's a real estate agent."

Linda nodded. "Yeah, I know her. Used to come in here lots with her husband, but since their messy divorce she hasn't been around. Why you askin'?"

"She's the agent House is dealing with to buy a house on Hanbury St." She debated whether telling Linda about it would lead to a leak to anyone else, but just as Linda liked to collect gossip, she never spread it.

"Whaddya need a house there for?" Linda filled Cameron's coffee cup.

"Don't tell anyone until he finalizes his plans, but he plans to open a doctor's office there."

"You mean the one with the old dental office? Dr. Fitz's place?"

"Yes, that's the one." She clammed up when the team walked in, followed by Hadley. Not long after, House arrived. They didn't wait for Anita, Wilson or Jessica, but ordered their food, mostly the special, lasagna.

Twenty minutes later, Anita came through the door, exuding excitement. "The lab results agree with those Dr. House got at the hospital. The animal medicines contain doses of active ingredients that are too high, especially for small animals."

The others practically cheered at her news.

Cameron reached into a pocket and pulled out the samples of flu vaccine she'd been using. "Hope you can have them analyze these." She handed them to her.

"Will do. I think we'll have enough evidence to at least question Marshall and his staff." Anita finally sat down next to Hadley. "Where are Wilson and Jessica?"

"They haven't arrived yet," Simpson said. "Saw Dr. Wilson at the hospital earlier. Guess he was checking on Mrs. Meisner."

Cameron smiled. "He'll be starting there on Monday, so he probably was also checking out his new office."

"But where is he now? And where's Jess?" Jacobs wondered aloud.

Wilson and Jessica were meeting with Diane in her office. "Every time we increase our bid on the house, the other party raises theirs."

Diane smiled. She loved bidding wars. "I guess he's as anxious as you."

"What are we up to now?" Jessica asked. "Eight ninety was it, or maybe nine hundred? The original price was a million. How about we offer that? Will that seal the deal?"

Wilson tossed her a warning glance, but knew she was thinking that with her old job back, they could swing it.

Diane's smile grew broader. "I think it might. I'll have to check one last time with Dr. House."

"House?" Wilson's mouth dropped open. He took a step backward, not even caring whether anything was behind, and held his hands up in front of him. "Uh, I withdraw my last bid. I'm not going up against House." He shook his head. "Uh-uh."

"Why not?" Jess asked.

He looked at Jessica. "You don't know what happens when someone stands in his way. Remember how he originally didn't want me to work at Snow Hill Mercy, did everything he could to block it."

"But now you'll be working there." Jessica rubbed an ear. "Why does he need this house in the first place? He and Cameron are building a beautiful new one out on Bay Road."

"Didn't we decide the only reason he let me take the job Meisner offered was because he was leaving the hospital and setting up his own practice? This house would be perfect for that." Wilson turned to Diane. "He's planning on using the office out front, right?"

"Yes, and I believe he wants to convert more first floor rooms into examination and lab space."

"See," Wilson told Jessica. He shook his head again. "I won't stand in his way of buying the place."

"But what about us?" Jess asked. "We need a place to live."

Wilson stood stock still for a moment. His gaze followed the stairway from the first to second floor of the building. "We'll have to be cunning about this, but maybe we can rent the second and third floors to live in." A smile finally appeared on his face. "Yeah, that's what we'll do. Diane, please, don't under any circumstances let on that we were the ones bidding against him for this house."

The real estate agent looked puzzled, but nodded her agreement.

"Good. Tell him he can have it. I'm through with this part of the game." He started to walk away and then turned back. "Remember not to tell him I was the other bidder, or that we're interested in renting the rooms from him."

"Yes, yes, I understand." But she clearly didn't.

"Thirteen, I'd like to talk to you about a proposition I have." House would have preferred to do this in private, but Cameron was always around. And his team. And Anita. Wilson and Jessica too, but they just hadn't arrived yet. "Not here though."

"You're propositioning me?" She glanced at Cameron and then Anita.

He chuckled. He could always count on her to respond in kind. "Perhaps if you have a few moments tomorrow morning at the hospital, you could stop by my office." He threw in a leer for good measure.

"Do I need to bring a bodyguard?"

He grimaced. "A lawyer might be helpful."

Her eyes narrowed. She was obviously curious about what this conversation and the later one he was proposing were all about.

Anita snickered. "Mind if I tag along instead?"

House shrugged. "Suit yourself, but I'm sure you have many other things to do to shore up your case."

Anita nodded. "True." She turned to Hadley. "You got this?"

"Sure." A smiled spread across Hadley's face.

The team members meanwhile had been watching with wide eyes and half open mouths. "What's the deal, boss?" Magnani finally asked.

"It's between Thir...Hadley and me." His eyes were locked with hers.

"Does it concern us?" Jacobs had a half smile on her face. She suddenly seemed to understand.

"I'll tell you what concerns you. Sheesh! Not everything's about you." Everyone laughed. They'd all at one time or another said that to him often enough.

"Tomorrow. In your office. Shall we say ten thirty? You can make it to the hospital by then, can't you?" Hadley teased.

House barely suppressed a chuckle that had been building. "Right."

Wilson and Jessica finally arrived, and the conversation ended.

"Where have you been?" Simpson asked his sister. "We were beginning to worry."

"I doubt all of you did." She looked to Wilson to answer.

"We had...stuff to do."

House rolled his eyes. "Wilson, you've never had stuff to do in your entire life. Which begs the question: Where _were_ you?" House skewered his friend.

"It's kind of private." Jessica examined her fingers and cleared her throat. "I don't want to talk about it."

"So what's everyone else been up to?" Wilson asked, obviously trying to deflect.

The others recounted some of what had happened that day, but House watched Wilson and Jessica closely, so he saw their furtive glances his way. His mind struggled to find some explanation, but in the end, he shrugged it off. Still he'd have to keep a close watch on them.

Cameron was in the middle of telling Wilson and Jessica about the flu virus when House's phone rang. He pushed his way out of the booth, nearly stepping on both Anita's and Jessica's toes in the process. He answered the call from a spot not far away.

The call was from the real estate agent. "The other bidder has dropped out, so I'll present your offer to the owner on Monday and let you know what they say."

He smiled as a warmth spread through his body.

Cameron finished what she was saying and looked at him, tilting her head. He held two thumbs up, and she grinned.

Later, on their way back to Edna's, she asked, "Where do you think Wilson and Jessica were?"

"Don't know and don't care."

"If they were off doing...you know what...they would have acted less...guilty."

"You're worried they're up to no good?" He glanced at her then refocused on the road.

"Wilson? Hardly. But it's something he doesn't want you to know about."

"Can't be better than what I'm not telling him." House smirked. "Now all I have to do is get Thirteen and Mortimer aboard."

"How are we going to make sure House doesn't rent the rooms to anyone else?" Jess asked Wilson.

"We'll wait until he announces he's bought the place and casually tell him we're still looking for a place to live. He might not offer, but count on Cameron. She'll suggest it."

"I'm not sure." Jess bit her lip.

"Think I should have continued to bid against him and risked the wrath of House?"

"No, I guess not."

Wilson changed the subject. "Glad to be back working with Dr. Carter?"

Jess relaxed and grinned. "Oh, yes. He's great to work with, and I'm much happier making animals better than testing tainted drugs on poor lab mice."

"Between the samples you gave Anita and the vaccines from Cameron, Anita and her pals will have a solid case against Marshall Pharmaceuticals."

"That's what everyone is hoping." She kissed his cheek.

"You're collecting more and more evidence against the pharma company." Hadley strapped herself into Anita's car.

"Yes. That's what I do."

"I didn't mean it as an accusation." Hadley put a hand on Anita's shoulder.

"You're worried about what will happen when I've pinned Marshall's to the wall." Anita took Hadley's hands in her own and smiled at her. "Well, I am too, you know. I've even considered taking a job in another capacity."

"Really?"

"Of course. There may not be many options, but I'll explore each one and decide." She winked at Hadley. "You're not rid of me so fast."

"Guess the town will soon be overrun with the Federales," Hadley said with a bad Spanish accent on the last word.

"Afraid so. My boss will come down from D.C. and bring a few people with him. Good thing it's the slow season for the motel."

"Won't they stay at the hotel in town?"

"Maybe. As long as I don't have to stay with them there." Her fingers laced through Hadley's hair. "I'd much rather spend my time with you."

House and Cameron were woken the next morning by the shrill sound of his phone.

He tried to ignore it, at the same time that Cameron berated him for not using a more pleasant ringtone. It went to voicemail which caused the phone light to flash.

House groaned as he finally retrieved the phone. "This better be good." He played the message.

"House, this is Will. There's been an accident at the house. Meet me out there ASAP."

They scrambled out of bed and into clothes. Cameron couldn't sit still the entire trip out to Bay Rd. "I thought Anderson had the property guarded."

"Will said an accident, not vandals."

The lane off the road to the house was lined with cop cars, pickups and closest to the structure, an ambulance. They parked where they could.

"What happened?" Cameron grabbed the first person she came to, one of Will's workmen.

"Dunno. I just got here. Boss called me in. Had the weekend off."

They walked together to the knot of people near one side of the house. Paramedics were treating someone. Cameron gasped when she realized it was Seth.

Anderson and Will talked a few feet away. Cameron and House, who finally caught up with her, strode toward them.

Cameron got the contractor's attention. "Will, your message said it was an accident. What happened?"


	2. Chapter 2

Here's another chapter of the new story

 **Chapter 2.**

Will glanced to where the paramedic worked on Seth. "We've been keeping surveillance of the site, especially when we're not actively working on your house. Two of my workers and two cops." He took a breath and let it out. "Someone snuck up on our guys early this A.M., and attacked them. One of Anderson's men was already taken to the hospital, and Seth was injured too."

Cameron's gaze had shifted back and forth between Will standing in front of her and Seth sitting on the ground not far away. "Did they get a good look at the attackers?" Cameron asked Will.

But it was the police chief who shook his head and answered. "It was dark and the men wore ski masks. The other two men were able to chase them off before they did any damage."

The paramedic helped Seth to his feet. Will immediately told his brother, "I'll take you home. You need to take it easy the rest of the day. Monday will be soon enough for you to come in."

Seth managed a weak smile. "I think I'll live."

"How are Carol and the baby?" Cameron asked.

His smile grew stronger. "Wonderful. I'll tell her you asked."

"I'll be in touch," Will said. He and Seth walked off to Will's pickup.

Anderson frowned. "Don't know why there's been so much trouble at this job site."

"Could it be because it's too near the Marshall Pharmaceuticals plant?" House pointed.

"It's beginning to seem that way." Anderson made a note on his iPad. "More likely than something to do with the election. Wasn't that your original theory?"

Cameron nodded. "One of them, but we've learned quite a lot about the pharma company since then, all of it pointing toward them engaging in nefarious practices."

"Dr. Cameron means there's lots of shenanigans going on."

"And your friend, the federal agent is continuing to investigate?" Anderson asked.

"You betcha," House said.

"You're going into the hospital today?" Anita lay on the bed hugging her pillow and asked Hadley.

"I'm curious about why House wants to talk to me." Hadley continued to get dressed.

"But it's Saturday. You don't have to work." Anita moved toward the edge of the bed.

"Guess none of us realized that when he brought it up yesterday." Hadley put her hair up in a ponytail. "I won't be long."

Anita bit her lip after Hadley left, then picked up the phone to check whether her friend at the FBI lab was at work.

"Hell-o," he sang.

"Jerry, I have more samples for you to analyze. Can you do it today if I bring them to you right away?" she asked.

"Sure. Anything for you. See you soon."

Anita was ready quickly and made sure she had the samples from Cameron. She drove north as she had a couple of times recently. It wasn't a bad drive. If she could just be assigned to the building housing the lab…

She entered as she had before, going down to the basement. Jerry smiled when she walked in.

"What do you have for me today?" he asked.

"Flu vaccine. This year's. Too many people who were vaccinated have come down with flu. These are from a batch sent to the clinic in Shelby, Maryland from the same company as the pet meds." She handed over the vials. "Is there a way to test what's in these compared to what's supposed to be?"

"Maybe. Did the clinic report this to the CDC?"

"The doctor called them. They couldn't be bothered, even though hospitals in the area have noticed the same spike in cases."

"There've been reports that the vaccine this year isn't 100% effective," Jerry pointed out.

"I know, but those reports have been proven false in the rest of the country."

"You have stats to back that up?"

Anita nodded. "I wouldn't have brought you these if I didn't. The doc did her homework, talked to doctors at hospitals in the state and in other states." She tapped the vials in Jerry's hands. "There's something defective with the vaccine manufactured and distributed by Marshall Pharmaceuticals.

Hadley reached House's office before him. She smirked. He'd never change, making his own hours, expecting people to wait for him. If she weren't so curious, she'd leave.

He arrived only five minutes late. "Waiting long?"

"I said ten thirty, so that's when I got here."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her to a chair as he walked around his desk to sit. "I'd rather you didn't tell anyone about what I'm going to tell you."

"That's why you asked to meet me in front of everyone?"

He grimaced. "Couldn't be avoided. When do I ever see you without your fed friend or my team?"

"True," she conceded.

He paused, no doubt for effect. "I've decided to leave Snow Hill."

"Leave?"

"That's what I said. Leave. Would you be willing to take over heading my department when I do?"

"Isn't that up to Dr. Meisner?" she countered.

House smiled. "He'll do what I recommend."

"Where will you go?" Her brow creased. "You have a life here, or at least in Shelby. With Cameron."

"Where I go doesn't factor into your decision. Will you do it? Yes or no?" He sat back and studied her.

A lot went through her mind. Their history together. Foreman's time as a substitute House. An uncertain future with Anita. But never once did she consider whether she could do the job or get along with the team. "You really want me? Why not one of the team members?"

"They don't have your experience." His face was impassive, but something in his voice told her he really wanted this to happen.

She sighed. "I hope I don't regret saying yes."

"You won't. We'll talk to Meisner on Monday." His gaze flicked to his door.

"Afraid to face the big boss alone?"

"Who? Moi?" House took on a 'perish the thought' face.

"Cameron knows about this?"

"Yes."

"Guess we tell the team after we talk to Meisner. Although you know I'll tell Anita." She smirked. "Sure you can keep this a secret for a whole weekend?"

"Yes. Can you?"

"Absolutely." She shook his hand, realizing how pumped she felt that he'd picked her. "See you later." She pirouetted out the door, grinning all the way to the elevator. Hadley couldn't wait to tell Anita.

With House at the hospital, Cameron took the opportunity to visit Carol, her baby boy, and Seth. Both of the new parents looked frazzled.

"He's still getting up twice a night." Carol smoothed the tuft of brown hair on the baby's head. "Neither one of us is getting much sleep."

Cameron smiled sympathetically. "Give it time."

"Do you want to hold him?" Carol asked, rising from the recliner she and the baby rested in. "Bryan, this is my boss, Dr. Cameron," she crooned to the baby. "She'll give you lots of shots over the next few years, but she's very gentle."

"So you want him to associate me with needles?" Cameron took the blue bundle in her arms. She focused on his parents to muffle any emotions holding him stirred.

"Well, no. Of course not. But he should be prepared and also know you're always gentle. He's in good hands with you."

"And I hope you both know I'll take excellent care of Bryan, make sure he stays healthy." The baby started to fuss, but instead of giving him back to his mother who stood with waiting arms, Cameron rocked him until he settled down again. "He's a sweetheart. You're very blessed to have him."

"We know." Seth stood and put his uninjured arm around his wife.

"How are you both besides sleep-deprived?"

"I'm feeling good," Carol said as if she was surprised. "Just worried about Seth."

"Honey, it was just a scratch. The paramedics took care of it. I'm fine!" he insisted.

"Did you see the any part of the men's faces?" Cameron said. "Which direction did they come from?"

Seth shook his head. "I didn't see any of them coming, but it had to have been from the field behind the house because I was facing the road."

"How many were there?" Cameron handed the baby back to his mother.

"Three." Seth closed his eyes and opened them again. "No, four. There was the one who clobbered the cop."

"How'd they get away?"

"Now that's the strange thing." He massaged his shoulder. "They came from behind the house, but they had a vehicle out front. A white pick-up. Sorry, I didn't get the license plate number. Really, Doc, I'm sorry this happened. I hope it doesn't slow construction of the house. It's almost finished."

"We can't wait to get into it. I hope you both, I mean all three of you, can make it to the housewarming."

Jessica had looked puzzled when House asked for a phone number and email address for David Mortimer, but she'd given it to him. Now that he had Hadley hooked, Mortimer was his next victim.

He sent off a cryptic message to the researcher, indicating he might have a job for someone who didn't want to experiment on animals anymore. Mortimer bit, replying simple, _Go on_.

House identified himself as a doctor opening a practice in Shelby in need of someone to run his lab.

But Mortimer was leery. _Can we meet in person?_ he sent.

House presumed the diner would be empty mid-afternoon, so he asked Mortimer to meet him there at three-thirty.

Mortimer was prompt, but wore a puzzled expression. House beckoned him to the booth, and the researcher sat down opposite him.

"First of all, Jessica Simpson vouches for you, so I figure you're one of the good guys," House said.

A smile flitted across Mortimer's face. "I'm glad she thinks so. With her gone, I'm not happy anymore working at the pharmaceutical company. Not that I was thrilled to begin with."

House nodded. "I guessed as much. That's why I thought you'd be interested in my proposition."

"Which is?"

"Like I told you, I'm opening a medical practice here in Shelby, but there's no lab between here and Snow Hill. If I have a lab on the premises it'll make my life a whole lot better." House studied the man while he talked, and the thoughtful expression impressed him. "Could you run a lab like that? Mostly it'll be blood tests, maybe urine. We'll still send patients to a hospital for scans, since I won't have that kind of equipment."

"I'm interested. Any idea what you'd pay?"

"How much you make at Marshall?" House countered. Mortimer told him, and House guffawed. "I'll pay you one and a half times that."

Mortimer grinned. "I'll do it."

Anita waited for the analysis results. She grinned when she left the lab a little after two that afternoon. She called her boss from her car. "We have evidence that the flu vaccine Marshall Pharmaceuticals distributed to Maryland doctors and hospitals was missing a critical flu strain, the one that's spreading throughout the area."

"This is besides the pet meds?"

"Yes. We got 'em, boss." She couldn't contain her glee. "We still haven't proved that men from the plant vandalized a house under construction nearby, but the police chief is still working on the evidence."

"All right. I'll send Gottlieb and Garcia your way. I want you to work with them from now on." His voice indicated she had no choice.

"If you think that's necessary." She only hoped they wouldn't take over the case she'd built alone up until now. "There's a hotel in the town center here in Shelby as well as the motel I've been staying at. Make sure they have my cellphone number so they can contact me when they get here." No need to tell them about the diner.

She ended the call and put her car in drive. The diner was where she could dispel her anger at her boss.

She drove directly there when she arrived back in Shelby.

Inside, much to her surprise, House sat in the booth with Dr. Mortimer. They were deep in conversation, so she took a seat at the counter.

"Coffee?" Linda asked.

"Please." She didn't need the caffeine but the hot liquid might soothe her roiling stomach.

"Anita," House called to her. "What are you doing over there?"

"I didn't want to interrupt. Hello, Dr. Mortimer. You'll be happy to know your samples have helped our case."

Mortimer smiled. "It was really Jessica. I couldn't let her get the evidence alone."

"You still working at the lab?" Anita asked.

Mortimer exchanged a glance with House. "Yeah, at least a while longer. But I can't wait to quit. First I need another job."

"I can talk to the people at the Bureau's lab, see if they need someone. They're very busy."

Another glance House's way. "I might have something."

Anita looked at House, and smiled. She and Hadley had speculated about what he was up to.


	3. Chapter 3

I apologize for not posting last week. I was selling my books at the Albuquerque Comic Con.

 **Chapter 3.**

Mortimer went home to his wife and children with a big grin on his face. House had relented and said he could tell her about the offer of the lab manager job as long as he kept mum with everyone else.

Soon after Mortimer departed, House left Anita alone. "Gotta see a man about a...well, something." It was a lame excuse, and they both knew it, but he couldn't believe she'd know he was going to the house on Hanbury St.

It was quiet when he arrived. A few pedestrians hurried by. It was a handsome house. No one would call it beautiful, like Pamela's was. The office at the front detracted from the elegant lines. But the conversion was done well, preserving the front porch with it's four columns, and the stone facade. House hadn't decided yet how many of the rooms he wanted to add to the office space.

He walked down the driveway to the back of the house since he hadn't been back there before. Someone had cared for it, even after the dentist and his family moved out. The flowers in the beds were long past blooming, and the vegetables had been harvested, but even he could tell someone had worked on each of the square plots. He wondered who, but it wasn't the greatest of his concerns. He'd never cared for gardening. It could be something Edna or his tenants could take care of, or he could hire someone.

A cat sat on the steps to the back door. Its eyes followed him as he walked around the neat beds. When he reached the cat, it didn't scamper off. He reached down to rub the silky head, but was more intent on the collar and tag around the cat's neck. Picking up the cat, he squinted to read: Tabby, owner: no one, if found please return to 350 Hanbury St. That was the address of the house. He guessed that, if he bought the house, the cat came with it.

As a child he'd always wanted a pet, a cat or dog, even a rabbit. But his father was dead set against the idea, claiming they moved too much. He'd argued that cats were good. They chased away any vermin in the area. But he couldn't convince his father.

A shed was built off one side of the detached garage. It was open and inside was a jumble of gardening tools.

Anita got tired of sitting alone in the diner booth. She returned to her room at the motel and sat down in the only chair with her computer literally on her lap. There were a few things she could investigate, but most vital were the employees of Marshall Pharmaceuticals. Was Owen Marshall aware of the practices in his labs and at the plant? If not him, than who?

She was able to access the employment information from the payments the company made to Social Security. A few names she'd heard over the previous few weeks stood out. She dismissed Mortimer, of course, and Jessica too. But no one had a good thing to say about Finnegan. Bingo! Neil Finnegan was an executive with responsibilities at the testing facility. He was the one who gave House, Cameron and her a tour, avoiding areas that Jessica later found to be super important. She made a note to check his financials.

Most of the other employees seemed blameless, just doing the jobs they were assigned. But there was one other name that stood out. Arnold Compton was listed as the president of that division, while Owen himself had that title for the manufacturing arm. She listed a few more names before finishing with that part of her investigation.

But then, not for the first time, she thought about what would happen after this investigation was over. In the past she didn't mind the travel for her job. Spending a few months in one place, then moving on to another. It was easy to move when you didn't form any attachments to people you met.

That afternoon, Wilson and Jessica had looked at other places to live, including a condo in a new apartment complex close to Snow Hill and a basement apartment like Cameron's at Edna's house, only larger with three rooms.

"You have your heart set on the house on Burberry Street," Wilson guessed when Jessica found fault with every place they visited.

"Don't you?" Jessica buckled herself into the car for the ride to the diner.

Wilson smiled. "Yes," he conceded. "So now we have to convince House without him telling us he's buying it."

"And without him knowing we've seen the place."

He drove the short distance to the diner. When they entered, the booth was empty but dirty dishes remained. So someone had been there recently.

Linda came over to clear them away.

"Who was here?" Wilson asked.

"Dr. House and some man who was here before with you, Jessica. Oh, and Anita." Linda left carrying a tray full of dishes.

Wilson frowned. "What man did you bring here?"

Jessica chuckled. "My other boyfriend."

Color drained from Wilson's face.

She laughed. "Relax. You know there's no one else. Linda probably meant Mortimer. Although I didn't realize he knew House. Why would House be here with him?"

"Well, don't ask him."

"Why not?" She frowned.

"It wouldn't be a good idea."

"I repeat, why not?"

"Can you imagine the kind of reaction you'd get prying into House's activities." Wilson grimaced and stood. "C'mon. There's something I'd like to do."

"We'll be back soon," Jessica told Linda as they passed her.

After her visit to the new baby and his parents, Cameron drove to the Shelby police office. She hoped Anderson was there and could tell her more about what happened out at the construction site.

"Dr. Cameron, have a seat. The chief will be with you soon. He's interviewing the man from Will Davis' crew who wasn't injured."

She hoped that would give them more than Seth could provide. Maybe the man had seen someone or at least something that would help.

She sat patiently, her mind examining why Marshall's company didn't want them to finish the house. By the time Anderson ushered Will's man out and was ready to see her, she'd formulated a couple of scenarios.

"Come in, Doctor." Anderson opened his door and let her enter first. "I expect you're here to find out how much we've been able to discover about the incident this morning." He frowned. "It hasn't been much, I'm afraid."

She pointed to the door. "That man who just left was one of Will's workers, right?"

"Yes. He was the one who wasn't injured."

"I talked to Seth before I came here. He doesn't remember anything except that the men came from behind the house and had a pickup parked on the drive."

Anderson's eyes narrowed. "Behind the house? Could they have been tampering with something there?"

"I don't know." She shuddered. "I hope not."

"We'll check." He tapped the paper in front of him. "Molino, the man who just left, said they attacked from behind. Seth Davis first, then my man, Bobby Young."

"How is he?" Her doctor's curiosity kicked in.

"Recuperating in the hospital. He may have a concussion but he'll be fine." Anderson turned the paper so Cameron could see. "Molino didn't report seeing anything. His first instinct was to tend to the injured. My other man, Matt Rosen, gave chase, but the men took off. Not only did they have a pickup waiting, but also a getaway driver."

A knock on Anita's door forced her to end her online searches. She opened the door on the two agents her boss sent, Gottlieb, a heavyset older man with a receding hairline, and Garcia, a shorter and younger man with a full mustache.

"You got here fast," Anita said.

"Hastings seemed to think you needed help." Gottlieb was obviously in charge.

"I'm getting enough help from the locals, thank you very much." She glared at them. "But since you're here, there are a couple of places that should be staked out. "

The two men exchanged frowns.

Anita sighed and went on. "Yesterday, there was an incident at a house under construction. The construction company and the local police are keeping the place under surveillance, but we suspect a connection to the drug manufacturing plant nearby. The property of the home abuts that of the plant. Someone has to infiltrate the plant" She looked from one to the other. "I've been here long enough that folks know I'm an agent, so we need someone new."

"I can do it," Gottlieb said. "But what should I be looking for?"

"Any plans to damage the house or the crew working there."

"And the second place?" Garcia asked.

"The research facility associated with the plant is further away." Anita pursed her lips. "I've gotten samples of drugs from that place as well as vaccines the company distributed that were were ineffective. I've told the woman I 'd asked to investigate the testing facility to quit. It was becoming too dangerous. Another doctor working there has helped me, but he also wants to quit. Garcia, you can replace them and learn how high up the problem goes.

He shook his head. "I'm not a doctor."

"Jessica can walk you through what you have to know about feeding test compounds to mice."

"Mice?" He glowered. "You want me to work with mice?"

She smirked. "Aren't you the one who stepped in to save Hastings from a tarantula?"

"You heard that story?" He chuckled.

"Who hasn't. So, you'll do it?" She looked at him expectantly.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Okay. Yes, I'll do it."

House found Cameron at the clinic in her exam room. "It's Saturday. Clinic's closed," he said.

"I thought I'd take the time to organize." She put down the box of syringes. "So, what did Hadley say?"

He smiled. "She'll do it."

"Good."

"And Mortimer's thinking about my offer," House added.

"He'd probably do anything to be able to quit the lab. When will you find out whether you definitely have the house?"

"Diane's supposed to submit my bid to the owner on Monday. In the meantime, there's another house to focus on."

Cameron nodded. "I spoke to Anderson. They're working on it. But neither his men nor Will's saw anything. They were attacked from behind."

"It links into Anita's investigation, doesn't it? What are the feds doing about it?"

"We'll have to ask her." She finished her tidying.

"I saw her earlier, while I was talking to Mortimer."

"And?"

"She tried to offer him a job, but he said he already had an offer."

Cameron smiled. "He didn't let on it was from you, did he?"

House shook his head.

She got her coat and purse, and they drove the short distance to the diner. The team didn't usually eat there on the weekend, but they were there with Anita and Hadley.

House had them all switch seats so he could take his traditional one. "We are gathered together to...no, wait, this isn't a wedding or a funeral."

"No it's dinner," Jacobs said. She wound up pressed against Magnani, as she always did, in the now full booth. They still had to move over a few chairs so everyone could sit.

Anita sat next to House. "Before you do anything rash, House, I have a colleague surveilling the manufacturing plant near your house. We don't want anymore incidents like this morning."

"What happened at the house?" Simpson asked.

"Someone attacked the four men guarding it," Cameron said. "Seth Davis and one of Chief Anderson's men were injured."

"Why would they attack them?"

"They may have been the same people who vandalized the house a while back. I don't think they want us to build there, or maybe live there now that the house is almost done."

"Isn't it a little late for that?" Simpson pressed his lips together.

House shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Anderson's investigating," Cameron said.

Anita nodded. "And so are we."

Wilson and Jessica walked in. They pulled over even more chairs, crowding around the booth, and sat. Conversation had come to a halt. "Don't stop talking on our account," Wilson said.

"We were just speculating on why anyone would want to attack House and Cameron's house," Hadley said.

"Was there another incident?" Jessica's eyes were huge.

Cameron nodded. "Yeah. In the wee hours this morning."

Anita looked up at two men entering. "Don't be obvious about it, but those are the two men my boss sent to help with the investigation."

"There's no room for them here anyway."

Gottlieb and Garcia glanced at Anita, then over the assembled group, and walked on to another booth.


	4. Chapter 4

As you'll see, the apartment in House's office building may have more takers.

 **Chapter 4.**

On their way home, Cameron thought back on what had happened at the diner. "Anita didn't seem happy that her boss sent those two men here to help her."

House shrugged, glanced at her then back at the road. "If they can infiltrate Marshall's lab and manufacturing plant so none of us civilians has to, more power to them."

"I suppose." But she didn't sound so convinced. "I thought she had enough evidence. Why does anyone have to sniff around the lab and plant?"

"Guess what she had was enough to escalate the investigation, but not enough to bring charges."

"So these two men were sent? If Anita can't work with them, it might make things worse."

He flicked a hand. "Let Anita handle it. We have other things to deal with right now."

"But some of them are related to Marshall Pharmaceuticals."

"True. Like what happened at our house." He thought for a full minute. "So you went to visit Seth and Carol?"

"Yes." A smile erupted. "The baby is so cute!"

"Uh-huh." He would have looked at the ground if he wasn't driving a car.

"We had this discussion before, House. I can be happy for them, think their baby is adorable, which he is, and even feel joy holding him, but that doesn't mean I want a child of my own."

He didn't speak again until they'd stopped in the driveway and he'd turned the car off. Then he turned to her. "Are you sure? Absolutely?"

She grinned and put a hand on his arm. "House, I am. Absolutely. Sure."

"Those two guys cramping your style?" Hadley asked. She and Anita were in Anita's room at the motel.

"I guess I wanted to wrap this up all on my own." Anita pursed her lips. "Now I guess I'll quit."

Hadley's eyes went wide. "Quit?"

"I thought I might get a transfer to the division housed at the facility where the Bureau lab is. But if I don't get the credit I deserve for this case, I won't have that choice within the Bureau."

"What would you do if you quit?" Hadley was still struggling with the idea.

Anita shrugged. "I hoped to talk to Chief Anderson on Monday. He's not hiring that I know of, but maybe there's a place for me in his police force, or he knows of someone in this area who can find something for me."

"You're planning on staying." Hadley grinned as she realized that's what Anita meant. She sighed with relief. "You're staying."

"Well, yeah!" She grinned too. "Didn't I say so?"

Hadley threw her arms around Anita. "That's great."

"But nothing's a done deal yet."

Hadley ignored her doubt. "Well, we can't live here, not for long anyway. And I doubt you'd want to move into the team's house." Hadley took Anita's hands in hers. "I didn't tell you, did I?"

"What?" Anita's eyes narrowed.

"I was sworn to secrecy, but I think that referred to keeping it from the team. Anita, House wants me to take over for him."

It took a minute for that to sink in for Anita. "Running the team? That's great. But what is he going to do? And what does it have to do with our living situation?"

"It doesn't tie in, not really. He's starting his own practice." Hadley closed her eyes to think. When she opened them, the gleam was brighter. "House and Cameron will move into their new place soon, and that will leave the place where they've been living vacant. Perhaps Edna McClelland will rent it to us."

"That's certainly one possibility, but isn't it small?"

"Of course, I haven't even looked at what places are available in Shelby. Or in Snow Hill either." Hadley hadn't been sure what the future held for her.

"We can start looking on Monday."

"But right now there's something else I want to do," Hadley said.

"So what's your plan to get House to rent to us?" Jessica asked Wilson as they drove to the team's house.

"We make sure no one else wants to lease the space." He sounded confident.

"How are you gonna do that?" Jessica's hands were intertwined in her lap. "I'm sure there'll be lots of people looking for a place to live, and a house owned by a doctor would be perfect."

"No one's living there now," he pointed out.

"No. Probably because it's not being rented out while the owners are trying to sell it."

"What makes you think there's anyone else out there who would want to?" Wilson asked.

"You have a point." She scratched her head.

"We just have to wait patiently for him to announce he bought the house to set up practice, and he's renting the living space."

House and Cameron waved to Edna on their way down to their apartment. "We won't be living here much longer," she said as she put her purse on the counter. Then we can retrieve everything we have in storage that won't fit here."

"Can't wait." He rested his hands on her shoulders and looked into her green eyes.

His lips were soft and inviting. She smiled briefly, then caught his lips with her own, felt his tongue slip in. Her arms encircled his neck, pulling his head closer still.

When he pulled back it was to say, "Wanna play?"

She giggled like she was thirteen rather than thirty. "What do you have in mind, kind sir?"

"Oh, no one calls me kind and gets away with it." He squeezed her tighter.

"What are you going to do about it?" Her lips twitched.

"I'll just have to show you how nasty I can be." He pulled back again so he could tickle her.

She couldn't suppress her laughter. "Stop. House. Stop," she managed to say amongst the bursts.

"Not until you admit I'm far from kind. That's almost as bad as saying I'm nice."

"All right. All right. You're...mean and nasty and uncouth and the evilest man in the world, and I love you so much it sometimes hurts."

"There. That's better." He let go of her, but his fingers went from tickling to fondling and caressing. He pulled off her top without opening the buttons and kissed the places he'd tickled earlier.

She placed her hands on either side of his face, rubbing against the scruff, and looked into his unbelievably blue eyes. Eyes that held so much love for her it made her turn gooey inside. "Kiss me."

"Your wish is my command." His lips met hers, and his tongue found its way between them to play with hers. They stopped kissing only long enough to shed their clothing, dropping everything where they stood.

He led her to the couch, tossing the cushions on their clothes and opening the bed. Then he pulled her with him as he flopped onto the mattress.

When their bare skin touched, it sizzled. Heat and shivers raced through them both simultaneously. Their passion grew, their heart rates rose, their breathing sped up. And then they reached that point of no return.

"How much longer do you think your sister and Wilson will stay here with us?" Magnani asked Simpson. The two doctors and their teammate Jacobs sat in the living room of the house they shared with Wilson, Jessica, and Hadley.

"I think they were looking for a house to buy or rent," Simpson said. "So, not much longer. Don't know about Hadley though."

"You're both talking as if you want them all to leave." Jacobs looked up from the book she was reading.

Simpson shook his head. "Actually, since they're paying part of the rent, finances will be tighter if they move out."

"Maybe we should look for a fourth person to share with us when they do," Magnani said. "Someone to help pay the rent and utilities."

"But not until we know for sure they're leaving." Simpson turned on the TV.

"Hadley never spends much time here, not since Anita came to town," Jacobs pointed out.

"True. If Anita stays, they'll probably look for a place of their own." Simpson still had the remote in his hand. "What do you wanna watch tonight?" He began to scroll through the guide.

In the morning, Hadley and Anita were the first to arrive at the diner. They had the Sunday paper with them, and Hadley perused the want ads for an apartment, while Anita read the latest news.

"Here's one," Hadley said. "It's not like most of what I'm finding, not rooms in someone's house."

"Figures since there are so few apartment complexes in Shelby."

"Well, this one is in one of them. Just north of the business area." Hadley tapped the paper. "A two-bedroom place. It says modern kitchen, but I'd want to see it."

"Are those the buildings off the state highway as you enter Shelby from the north?"

"I think so."

"Why are you looking at the classifieds?" Cameron said.

They hadn't seen her enter. "Can't live with the team forever," Hadley said. She almost added, since I'm going to be their boss. Of course, Cameron must know about her taking over for House, but she'd been sworn to secrecy.

House stole the sports section and seemed to be reading that, not listening to what anyone said.

"Anita, does this mean you're staying in Shelby?" Cameron asked.

"I'm planning to."

"Good." Cameron helped herself to the health section, but immediately pointed to an article. "Look at this. The flu has hit more people throughout the country, but the numbers for this state are staggering."

"Due to Marshall's vaccine, no doubt," Anita said. She took the article and read through it. "The CDC is saying it's just because the virus causing the flu is virulent. Nothing about the vaccine."

"They refuse to acknowledge what we've found here. Guess they're so busy helping doctors and hospitals in the large cities."

Hadley looked up from the classified section. "Isn't that the usual case? Resources are directed to the cities while small communities have to get along as well as they can on their own?" Her words echoed her bitter tone.

"Not always," Anita said. "I'm here, and so are Gottlieb and Garcia. I'll agree it seems the cities get more attention, but they also have larger problems. That's why I like it here. Not to change the subject, but did you want to look at those apartments you found earlier?"

"Our place will be available soon," Cameron told them.

"Yes, we've talked about that as an option."

House spoke from behind the newspaper. "I'll have rooms for rent in the house I'm buying." He put the pages down to see their reactions. He wasn't disappointed as two mouths dropped open and four eyes grew larger.

Anita was the first to recover. "You're buying a house? But what about..."

"For my new office. There's an apartment on the second floor, and rooms I won't be using on the first and third."

"Wow!" Hadley slapped a hand to her mouth.

Anita was more practical. "How much are you asking?"

"Don't you want to see the place first?" House smiled. "I should have the keys later this week."

"Let us know when you do. I guess it's much larger than you place in Edna McClelland's basement."

"It's a full apartment, complete with a modern kitchen."

"A kitchen." Hadley smirked. "Guess that means we won't be eating here so much."

Wilson took Jessica to the hospital Sunday to see his new office space.

"Nice," she said.

"Just nice? Look at that view out my window." He pointed. "And this desk. It's even nicer than the one I had in Princeton."

"No balcony."

"Yes, that's true, but the only one who used it was House when he wanted to come disrupt my consultations with patients."

She ran a hand over the desk chair. "Will it be strange working here without him barging in all the time?"

"I guess, but at least I'll get more work done."

She sat on the sofa. "This is like the one in your old office."

"Sometimes I wondered whether I was a psychiatrist rather than an oncologist the way he used that couch."

"Admit it, you will miss him being so close."

"I'll get enough of him in Shelby."


	5. Chapter 5

I blame a little football game and a party there-for for keeping me from posting this last night. But here's the next chapter. Also, the fabulous Pyewacket pointed out that the way I was indicating breaks between scenes wasn't carrying over to FF, so for this chapter I've just used multiple paragraph breaks. Let me know if this works.

 **Chapter 5.**

Anita and Hadley left House and Cameron at the diner so they could look at some of the other apartments they found in the newspaper that were available in Shelby. They drove to the new complex they were considering and parked in a visitors lot.

"I'm not ready to talk to the rental agent," Anita said, pointing to a sign.

"Neither am I." Hadley got out and looked around.

Anita joined her on the sidewalk that seemed to wind among the four or five two story buildings. "House's description of the apartment in the building he's buying sounds so good, I doubt any of these places can compete."

"They certainly won't have the charm of an old house. But the construction here is less than ten years old and the grounds here are immaculate." Hadley looked at the freshly cut green lawn, free of any fallen leaves from the trees.

"Yes. There are trees and shrubs everywhere." They strolled along until they came to a playground. Two women sat on benches, watching their children on the slide.

Hadley approached. "Excuse me. I assume you live here. What are the apartments like?"

The women looked at them through narrowed eyes. The blond one said, "Are you interested in renting one?"

"For the two of you?" the other asked.

"Yes," Hadley replied. "Have you lived here long?" Perhaps they'd answer that question rather than grill them.

The women exchanged frowns. "I've lived here with my husband and kids since the place was finished about five years ago," said the blonde.

Anita smiled at her. "Guess it's a great place to raise a family."

"Yes." Blondie stared at her.

"I suppose we'll go talk to the rental agent." Anita turned to go.

A voice followed her. "They're not there on Sunday."

Hadley joined Anita and they walked to their car. "They weren't very welcoming," Anita said as she opened the driver's side door.

Hadley shrugged. "I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of putting up with attitudes like theirs to move here."

They drove on to the next apartment on their list, a basement apartment like Cameron's.

Wilson and Jessica arrived back in Shelby after a morning at the hospital and drove straight to the diner. They found the booth empty.

"Have you come up with a plan to approach House about the apartment?" Jess checked to make sure no one was listening.

"We might as well wait until he starts making noises about the apartment in his house. I wonder whether he'll rent it out or turn it into a condo for purchase."

"I never thought of that possibility." Her eyes narrowed. "Can he do that?"

Wilson shrugged. "I don't see why not. Although, frankly, I have no idea what he's planning."

"Guess we can buy the space rather than rent it." She grinned. "It might even be better if we do."

"Let's play this by ear." Wilson wouldn't let on that he didn't have another plan. He looked around for Linda. The lunch crowd was gone, so she was likely in the kitchen with Mo. "Wonder if they still have some of the lunch special, whatever it is." He smiled when Linda appeared and he could place his order.

House and Cameron drove out along the Bay Road to the house they were building. Now that the initial shock of the attack had worn off, they wanted to examine the grounds and house carefully.

When they arrived, a man was walking around the building, looking at the structure. "Maybe he's an insurance adjuster," Cameron guessed.

House shook his head. "I recognize him from somewhere." But it took a few minutes to realize from where. He got out of the car and approached the man. "You Gottlieb or Garcia?" House remembered the names Anita used.

The man stopped walking and watched as they approached. "Weren't you with Anita at the diner?" he asked.

"Great observation skills. There's hope for you yet. Might even make it as an FBI agent. I'm Dr. Greg House and this lovely lady is Dr. Allison Cameron. We're the owners of this land and the house."

Taking a few steps toward them, the man held out a hand, "Steve Gottlieb."

They each shook it. House thought, it never hurts to be friendly with a fed. In addition to Anita. "Find anything?"

Gottlieb shook his head. "I thought one of the assailants might have dropped a cigarette butt or gum wrapper."

"They'd all probably watched enough cop movies and TV shows to avoid that," Cameron said.

"Yeah, guess you're right. So what are you two doing here?"

"Checking there wasn't any damage." Cameron continued to scan the property. "What happened to the cops and workers who were guarding the site?"

"I told 'em to take a break. Don't worry. They didn't go far, just down to the pier on the Chesapeake. They'll be back in another fifteen minutes."

"Mind if we go inside to inspect?" she asked.

"It's your house." He turned to face the lane leading off the road to the house. A car pulled up, but it was only the returning guards.

Gottlieb called to House and Cameron who'd reached the front door, "See you later." He stopped to speak to the two men, then got in his car and drove off.

"Friendly sort," Cameron remarked as they entered the house.

It didn't look much different from the last time they were there. They did a tour of the rooms. Nothing appeared out of place or broken. Cameron stopped in the kitchen and looked around with a big green.

Her shoulders relaxed, and House smiled slightly. They left the house and got back in the car relieved to find the house wasn't damaged.

On the drive back to the diner, they talked about their plans for a housewarming party.

"Don't need more than a small gathering," he said.

"That you personally selected?" Cameron smirked. "It's an open house and we should invite all our friends here in Shelby."

"You know the entire population through the clinic," he complained.

"Let's agree to table the discussion until after the house is finished, shall we?"

House nodded.

Wilson and Jessica were already eating when House and Cameron arrived at the diner at 3 PM.

Cameron noticed their full plates. "It's too early for dinner for me."

Jessica pointed her fork at her salad. "This is a late lunch for us. Jimmy took me to see his office at the hospital, and we got back late."

"I wouldn't mind a late lunch." House switched places with Jessica so he could occupy his regular seat.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "You already had a regular lunch."

"That's why this one is a late one." He signaled for Linda to come over and ordered a burger and fries.

"Just an iced tea for me," Cameron said.

The booth soon filled up as Hadley and Anita joined them, then the team.

"We met your pal Gottlieb," House told Anita. "Out by our house."

"He seemed friendly," Cameron said. "He was guarding the house while the workmen took a break.

"Is everything okay there?" Jacobs asked.

"Yes, there's no damage inside or out." Cameron sipped her tea.

Magnani grinned. "You'll be moving in soon."

"Yes. We talked about having an open house so everyone could see the place. But we can't agree on how open we want it." Cameron looked pointedly at House.

House growled. "I don't need twenty thousand of your nearest and dearest friends traipsing through my house. Notice the emphasis on your and my."

"It's as much my house as yours. Anyway, I'm sure we can reach a compromise."

"If you need help planning it, we'll be happy to lend a hand," Jacobs said.

Magnani nodded. "Yeah, what Heather said."

Cameron chuckled. "We'll let you know. I'm sure we'll need a few more hands when the time comes."

On Monday, first thing in the morning, House received a phone call. He was still dawdling over he coffee, while everyone else had gone off to their assorted jobs. "Diane, what's the good news?"

"The owners have accepted your offer."

"Great. When can we close?"

"The process will take a couple of weeks. We need inspections. I've run a preliminary check on your credit but now we'll need a more detailed one. And then you'll have to meet with the bank to arrange financing."

"Even if I pay cash?" he asked.

There was silence at the other end of the line.

"Diane, are you still there?"

She cleared her throat. "Yes, of course. I hadn't realized...I mean, are you sure?"

"Positive. So I assume you won't need the credit check and all that bank stuff, right? When can you hand over the keys?"

"Let me check with my boss. I've never, that is, I don't usually deal with a buyer who's paying cash." She sounded like she was beginning to come to grips with what he planned. "You are planning to rent out some of the upstairs, right?"

"Yes."

"You know, for tax purposes, it might be better to carry a mortgage, even a small one."

"No, my mind's made up. I'm buying the house outright. And the sooner the better."

The clinic was empty most of the day, much to Cameron's surprise.

"Guess everyone stayed home with the flu or that cold that's going around," Naomi said.

"But usually they come in with both of those looking for relief. At times I have to ask patients to wear masks so they don't spread germs to each other." She went to the front door a second time to make sure the 'open' sign was showing.

Naomi nodded. "I'm glad my kids are fine, but they say lots of their classmates have been absent from school."

"Yet none of them have come in for a prescription for antibiotics or Teraflu."

"Well, you can't drag 'em in off the streets, can you?"

Cameron chuckled, her sense of being useless fading. Naomi helped her put things into perspective. If patients wanted her help, they'd show up. She was there for them.

Anita met with Gottlieb and Garcia at a small restaurant thirty miles north of town so they wouldn't be seen together.

"I got the job at the lab," Garcia reported. "Seemed like they needed people quickly."

"And I checked out the house that was targeted and the men guarding it. They're good. Now I can concentrate on the manufacturing facility."

Both men avoided naming the company.

"Okay, I'll continue to analyze the financials of the top executives at both places," Anita said, although she'd rather be out in the field the way they were. Maybe she could find a way.

Wilson was very busy his first day in the oncology department of Snow Hill. He was called in for two consultations and assisted in an operation. So he had no time to think about a plan to rent or buy the apartment from House. By the time he was finished for the day, he didn't want to think about or do anything but eat dinner and then curl up with Jessica. The latter wasn't easy anywhere at the team's house. They needed their own place. He finally thought about what they hoped would be the solution of that problem.

He drove back to Shelby planning an approach that might work on House, kind of reverse psychology. He was primed by the time he reached the diner. To find it empty, at least of House, Jessica and everyone he usually ate with.

But two-by-two or -three, they finally arrived, and he grinned. Now he could put his plan into action. Opening salvo: "I missed you at the hospital today," he said.

"Who, me?" House pointed a fork at his t-shirt. Luckily there was nothing on it.

"Yeah. There was no one to have lunch with."

"Why don't you find your own lunch bunch?" House replied. His tone wasn't particularly hostile.

Wilson tried again, this time ignoring House. "How was the clinic today?"

"Remarkably quiet. I had very few patients," Cameron said. "How was your first day at Snow Hill?"

"Busy. Two consults, one surgery. I'm glad I took Meisner's offer." He then waited patiently for everyone to talk about what they did that day. Eventually it was House's turn.

"Bought a house today."

"What?" Jessica feigned surprise. "I thought you and Cameron were building one."

"I'm going to open an office in Shelby."

"Oh, that's nice." Wilson dismissed House's news with a roll of his eyes.

"You don't think I can have a private practice?"

"Did you ever do that before?" Wilson countered. "But why a house? Why not office space? There's all sorts of office buildings sprouting up around here."

"I'm planning on renting out the rest of the house. There are rooms on the upper floors."

"You'll never get tenants. Who would want to live above a doctor's office?"

"We might," Anita said, smiling at Hadley.

Wilson blinked and then blinked again.


	6. Chapter 6

I could have sworn that I posted this last Monday night, but after my weekend away, and the loss of a very close friend, my mind was in a whirl.

 **Chapter 6.**

Wilson couldn't believe he and Jessica would have competition for the rental space in the building House bought to open an office in Shelby. While Wilson sat there with his jaw hanging open and thinking about what to say, House's team bombarded their boss with questions.

"Will you also be working at the hospital?" Jacobs asked, while Simpson wanted to know,"Who will we report to?" and Magnani asked, "When are you opening the new office?"

Wilson's shock deepened when Hadley said, "I'm taking over for House. Otherwise the team will stay intact."

"When did all this happen?" Jessica looked puzzled like she was also trying to process what House and then Hadley said. Oh, and Anita too. Jess rubbed the back of her neck. "And how much are you asking?"

House shook his head. "I don't even have possession yet, but I was considering a thousand a month for the second floor apartments."

"Have you considered turning the rooms and apartments you're not using into condos?" Jess asked.

Wilson shot Jess a disapproving look before House asked, "Why? So you and Wilson could buy one?"

She sneered, but whether it was in response to Wilson's expression or House's words, no one knew.

Anita frowned, probably at everyone. "I guess we can buy the apartment too if you can legally turn it into a condo."

Hadley grinned. "Yes, how much would you want?"

"You haven't even see it," Cameron said.

"Hush," House said. "I'd like to see what kind of bidding war I can have for the place."

"What's it like?" Hadley asked.

"There's a second floor apartment. It's over the doctor's office and the first floor rooms I'll turn into exam rooms and a lab. I understand the kitchen up there is up-to-date." House looked at Cameron.

"Yes, it's gorgeous. I think there are three bedrooms or maybe two and a den. There are also a few rooms on the third floor. I didn't go up, so I don't know what they're like."

"So, what am I bid?" House pretended to twirl a mustache he didn't have.

Simpson raised a hand. "Hold it a minute. You haven't even finished the transaction of buying the building and you're already selling parts of it?" He turned to face Anita who sat next to him. "Can he do that?"

"I hope so." She bit her lip. "If you're renting, we'll pay the thousand a week. If you're selling, we can offer..." she looked at Hadley who nodded for her to go on. "...thirty thousand."

House nodded once.

"Wait, I'll pay twelve hundred a week or forty thousand," Wilson said.

The grin on House's face couldn't get bigger. "That's what I like, duke it out and let me know who wins." He went back to eating his apple pie.

Cameron looked at him, but it was more interesting to watch Wilson and Anita battle it out, each raising the other's bid. Finally, when Wilson bid two thousand a month or a hundred thousand, Anita had to throw her hands up in defeat. "You win. I can't go any higher."

House had finished his dessert. "Ah, but it's up to me who's bid I accept."

"House, I've known you longer than anyone else at this table." Wilson pointed a finger at him. "You owe me big time."

"For what?"

"Well, for all the times I got you out of scrapes."

"That you helped me get into," House said. "Cameron can vouch for that."

She held up all ten fingers. "Don't put me in the middle of this." Still she was the one who came up with the compromise. "I didn't see the third floor, but perhaps there's the potential to make that a second apartment instead of just rooms."

"You're suggesting I rent to both of them?" House seemed to consider her suggestion.

She smiled. "When do you get the keys? We should look at both floors whatever you do, see what's possible."

"I actually have a set now." He pulled the keys out of his pocket. "Anyone up to explore?"

In addition to the two pairs who were interested in renting the space, the team decided to tag along. "I'm curious about this house that our boss is leaving us for," Jacobs said.

They drove over to Burberry Street in four cars, then struggled to find parking for all of them. House and Cameron waited for everyone to reconvene on the front path.

"Nice house," Magnani said when he initially saw it.

House limped up the front steps to the entrance of the medical office. "Guy had a dental practice here." He walked through the waiting room to the double doors leading to the living quarters. "I'll use most of the rooms on this ground floor. There's a side entrance with easy access to the stairs. He pointed to the wide stairway, then stood back so they could swarm up it.

"This stairway is wonderful," Anita said.

"Look at all the molding. And the ceiling's so high." Hadley beat her to the second floor, but the team was already there.

"C'mon, slowpokes," Anita called to Wilson and Jessica who were ambling up the steps.

"Love this kitchen. Rocco, you could do some serious cooking here."

"If the couple who scores the place ever asks me over." Magnani grinned at Hadley and Anita.

"I wouldn't count on the two of us getting it." Anita shook her head. "Dr. Wilson has deep pockets, including his insurance money from the explosion at PPTH."

"And don't forget the condo he sold in Princeton." Hadley started for the third floor.

House and Cameron waited on the ground floor. "What do you think you'll do?" she asked.

"Don't know yet." House grinned a rather evil grin. "But one thing I won't have to do is advertise this place or pay a rental agent to rent it for me. "

Cameron debated going up the steps since she hadn't seen the third level. "So, you've given up the idea of turning the space into condos?"

He shrugged. "Why bother?"

"I'm going up to the top floor to see what needs to be done to make it as attractive a deal as the second floor." She bounded up the stairway.

House could imagine having a couple of apartments above his new office, but having Wilson occupying one and Hadley the other added another layer of complexity. They'd be at work all day, and so would their partners, and he'd be gone in the evenings, so their paths might never cross. But he still had to think about the consequences.

By the time everyone descended to where he waited, he still hadn't decided if this was what he wanted.

"The upper floor is more divided than the second," Cameron said. "Two small apartments and only one has a kitchen."

"What would it take to combine them?"

"Quite a bit."

"I expect you both want the second floor." He smiled at Wilson, Jess, Hadley and Anita. "Money isn't the deciding factor here." He watched the frown deepen on Wilson's face. "In fact, I think it's time for another contest." He stared at Hadley.

"What does he mean?" Magnani asked Cameron.

"He had to pick a new team once, so he ran the candidates, I forget how many there were at first, through a contest. That's where Remy got the name Thirteen. That was her number."

The mouths of the three current team members formed identical large circles.

Cameron grinned. "His contests are legendary."

Hadley studied Wilson and Jessica. "I don't intend to cheat. Won't have to."

"Bring it on," Anita added.

Wilson and Jessica had a whispered conversation. The only word anyone else could hear was bother. He took a deep breath, let it out and said, "Okay, we're in. What do we have to do?"

House smiled. "There's a cat roaming around out back. Could one of you bring him in?"

"Is this part of the contest?" Jessisa asked.

"No." House rubbed above his left eyebrow. "The contest begins tomorrow. I know you all have to work, so it'll start after dinner. See you then." He turned to Cameron. "Let's go. You can bring the cat to Edna."

"Jimmy, you know House. What kind of contest could he have?" Jessica asked.

"When he was trying to put together the team, the tasks were all medically related. I have no idea what he has in mind this time." He put a hand around her neck. "C'mon, let's go back to the team house and see how we can prepare."

Several feet away, Hadley and Anita had a similar conversation. "I should feel confident," Hadley said. "I was one of the winners last time. But I haven't a clue what to expect."

"Isn't that the point? House dangles the contest in front of us, but has yet to tell us the rules." Anita's phone buzzed. She looked at the screen. "I have to check in with Gottlieb and then we can go to my room at the motel and strategize."

Gottlieb didn't have anything new to report. "So why'd you call?" Anita demanded.

"Just wanted to let you know..."

"That you have nothing new. Got it. Next time, only call if you have information." She sighed as she hung up and turned to Hadley. "Let's go."

The next day, while the team, Hadley and Wilson went to work at the hospital. House was there, too, although not working. Compared to the day before, when Cameron had few clinic patients, she was busier than usual. And Jessica spent the day tending to dogs, cats and a rabbit.

Left on her own, Anita drove to the lab to get the results on the vaccine analysis. She was entering the basement lab when she received a call from Gottlieb.

"What's up?" She hadn't expected him to call.

"Everything Jessica Simpson and Dave Mortimer told you checks out."

"Thanks." Anita rolled her eyes. What she wanted to say was, of course they told the truth, but she didn't. "Did you find out anything new?" She emphasized the word new.

"Only that they have two new drugs in the pipeline. I've tried to find out if the contamination was deliberate. Because if it was, it's a whole 'nother ballgame."

"Well, go see what you can find." She knew it had been wrong to send the two men to Shelby, but at least Garcia knew what to look for.

Her friend caught her eye. "Anita, got your results. This vaccine is missing one of the flu viruses that's supposed to be included this year, the one that's causing the outbreak all over the country."

"That has to be deliberate, not a mistake." She took the report and grinned. "Thanks, Jerry. You're the best."

"Yeah?" He raised and lowered an eyebrow. "How about we go out for a drink sometime?"

She chuckled. "You know I'm already in a relationship."

He frowned and looked down. "Yeah, I know. Too bad. But if that ever goes south, I'll be here."

"Won't happen. But it's nice to know you care." She smiled at him and walked away.

While she drove back to Shelby, she thought about what she'd tell Gottlieb and Garcia. She continued to uncover more than they did, and hoped some higher up would notice that, even though she didn't expect her boss to. That thought convinced her yet again that she had to quit, but not until this investigation was over.

She drove past the house on Burberry street and said a silent prayer that she and Hadley would be living there before long. It was such an elegant old house, yet the apartment appeared comfortable and the kitchen was great.

It was way too early to look for anyone at the diner, so she drove out to the other house, the one House and Cameron was having built, the one that had been the target for thugs from Marshall Pharmaceutical's manufacturing plant. Allegedly.

Chief Anderson was there with two of his men, standing guard. She parked behind a red pickup, undoubtedly belonging to one of the two men.

She got out and walked directly to where Anderson stood. "Hello, Chief."

"Oh, Miss Morrow."

"Anita, please," she said, smiling at him. "Seems quiet here."

"Yes. I just arrived to make sure." He scratched his head. "Wish we'd been able to catch the guys the other day. Then we could prove they're associated with the plant."

She looked off in the direction of the plant. "Guess I can tell you. We have a man who's gone undercover there. He'll let us know if he hears of anyone planning anything."

"Thanks. Glad we can work together on this." Anderson turned and called to one of his men, "Tony, I'm leaving. Call me if there are any changes."

"Will do, Chief."

As they walked to their cars, Anderson said, "Hear you're hoping to stay in this area once the case is over."

"Yes." She chuckled, wondering about how word got around in small towns.

"Well, if you're leaving the Bureau and you're looking for a job, I can use you."

"I was hoping you'd say that."


	7. Chapter 7

And here's the next one.

 **Chapter 7.**

House had decided to spend some time in his office at the hospital, planning out the contest he'd present to the two couples vying for the apartment in his office/house. He thought about the personalities of the four, their strengths and weaknesses. He didn't want to set this up to favor one couple over the other, and he didn't want it to be too easy for anyone.

He scratched his head with one hand as his pen scratched a few possibilities with the other, and then scratched each of them out. Maybe he shouldn't have announced the contest before he knew what it would be.

His phone rang. Caller ID said Diane. His stomach suddenly clenched. What if he'd lost the office/house? He was counting on it. "Diane, what's the word?"

"The owners were happy with you offer and the bank agreed to the terms, especially since you're paying cash." Diane laughed. "Now you'll have to find tenants for the apartments."

"Oh, I already have. Just have to decide who gets the second floor and what has to be done on the third." He made three check marks on his pad. "When do we close?"

"Again, since you're paying cash, we can accelerate the process. What are you doing on Friday?"

"Closing on the Burberry house, of course." If he was the type to cheer, he would. Instead he just grinned.

Cameron finally had a chance to sit down at noon. The deluge of patients had subsided, at least temporarily. Her phone jangled. It was Anita.

"Your hunch paid off, Dr. Cameron."

"Oh, please. Allison. If you're going to be living in the building where House will have his office, we'll probably see even more of you than before." She smiled. "So what did the lab find?"

"The vaccine manufactured by Marshall's is missing one of the strains that's supposed to be in vaccines this year. It has to be deliberate. I didn't mention this to Chief Anderson when I saw him earlier out at your home, though."

"The chief was there?" Cameron stood. "I'm not too surprised. Has he found anything?"

"Not yet. He was lamenting not catching the attackers over the weekend." Anita paused. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, although I can't promise to answer." She guessed what Anita wanted to know.

"Has Dr. House said anything about the contest?" Anita had never sounded so tentative.

Cameron mentally patted herself on the back for being right. "No, not to me. But even if I knew something, you realize I couldn't tell you."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Anita sighed. "It was worth a shot."

Cameron chuckled. "I'm not even sure he knows himself what the contest will be."

"Oh." Her voice changed again, rising an octave.

Cameron wanted to ask about another subject. "Did you talk to Anderson about working for him once this case is over?"

A resounding "Yes."

Wilson was too busy at the hospital to think about House's contest, but just before noon he was able to get away for some lunch. House appeared in his office doorway as if he was summoned. "While I'm still here, you can buy me lunch."

"Is this part of the contest?" Wilson asked.

"Why? Do you want it to be?" House countered.

"Sure. I'd win hands down. I've bought you more lunches that everyone else in the universe combined!"

"Call it part of your bribe."

"You're going to get the most out of this that you can." Wilson had to laugh. "C'mon." But once they were on the elevator, House punched the button for the garage rather than the first floor where the cafeteria was.

"Where are we going?" Wilson studied him through narrowed eyes.

"Le Garçon. Best restaurant in Snow Hill."

"Most expensive, you mean." Wilson rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that too." House strode toward Wilson's car. "It's not far, but I prefer to ride in comfort."

Wilson clicked the doors open and they got it.

"Onward, James," House said.

Wilson shook his head. The things he was willing to do to get the apartment.

Hadley found the team with their latest patient. "Thought I'd find out what you were doing since I'll be your new boss."

"I expect you'll be more involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the patients than House ever was." Simpson grinned at her. "At first, he participated in the differential diagnosis, but not lately."

Jacobs showed her the latest results from their tests on the patient. "We think we know what it is, but I'd be curious to find out what you think."

Hadley smirked. "This isn't part of House's contest, is it? Because I wouldn't put it past him."

Jacobs placed the results on the table. "What was it like, the contest he ran before?"

"It was more than one contest, whittling the numbers of candidates down to a team." She thought back to those days that seem so long ago. "He split us into teams to compete on diagnosing a series of patients. Among other things. But that won't work in this case, not with Wilson, Jessica, Anita and me. Guess we'll see."

"How many were there?"

"Lots at first, a hundred I think, but he quickly eliminated all but ten, and then split us into males and females."

"And he wound up with three?"

"Yes. Me, a plastic surgeon named Taub and Kutner. Poor Kutner." She hadn't though of him for a couple of years, but still missed him, maybe more now than ever. "There were others over the years, almost like musical chairs. I think Chase came back first, then Foreman. It was tiring and disconcerting." No sense thinking about the past. "Let me see those results again."

Jacobs handed them to her.

"Something familiar about this. Give me a minute." She sat down to study the file and the test results.

Jessica's mind was on the contest too, but the animals she treated took the most of her attention. She was surprised to see Edna McClellan come into the veterinary office carrying the cat. Jess recognized it as the one that had been roaming the yard of the Burberry Street house.

"Is something wrong with him?" Jess asked, taking the animal from Edna's arms. She smiled. "Sorry, her."

"I think she may be pregnant."

"Well, let's take a look." Jess placed the cat on the exam table and gently examined her all over. "Her belly's swollen and her nipples are dark, but we should do an ultrasound."

"Whatever she needs." Edna petting the animal fondly.

"Are you going to keep her?" Jess positioned the cat on the table, applied the gel and ran the wand over her stomach. She chuckled when she saw the screen. "I'll say she's pregnant." She showed Edna the sonogram, indicating three, possibly four babies. "And the kittens?"

"I think House wants to keep Twinkle around the house in town but until he moves in, he wanted me to take care of her." Edna grinned. "And I'm happy to do it. We'll see about the kittens once they're here."

"You know, Jim and I may be living in the house."

Edna nodded. "And I'll be a kind of den mother for everyone living there. Oh, I won't be leaving my house. It would be great if you lived there."

"Well, put in a good word with House for us, okay?"

"Of course I will, Jessica. I'm looking forward to spending time with young folks."

"You're not old."

Edna smiled. "You're sweet to say it. But I'll be seventy-four next Tuesday."

"Well, you don't look much over sixty. And you act like a woman much younger."

"Still, my friends are mostly my age. Allison is the youngest. And I love when my son comes to visit, but that's not the same thing."

Jessica made a mental note to include Edna in whatever she and Wilson did when they move. Then she crossed out whatever in her mind and changed it to some of the things.

House decided to set the stage for the contest by keeping the contestants guessing. He planned to arrive late at the diner that evening, and not stay long. He said he'd tell them what they had to do but keeping them in the dark was part of the test. Let them find out for themselves.

Still, he didn't want Cameron to wait. He knew she could keep quiet, but the best way of making sure she didn't blab was to convince her to arrive with him. He called her and explained what he planned.

"Will you at least tell me what the contest involves?" she asked.

"Truth is, I'm still working out the details myself." He paused. "Couldn't be a medical case to solve. It should involve the house. I want to know who's worthy of living there."

"I thought you were going to rent the third floor to the loser." She sounded confused.

"Yes, but they don't know that. They might guess that's the case, but they can't know for sure."

"And when do you plan on telling them?" she asked.

He chuckled. "When the contest is over. Meanwhile, let 'em sweat a little."

"Glad you're having fun with this. Will it involve the cat?" She was laughing too. "Because Edna just called to tell me that she's pregnant. Jess confirmed it."

"How many?"

"What?"

"How many kittens will she have? I may make them guess that, but I guess Jessica has an advantage there."

"You can have them bet on when she'll give birth."

"That's an idea." He stopped to write it down. "Okay, since you're being clever today, what else?"

"You really don't know, do you? You've dangled this contest thing under their noses but you're as clueless as they are what it'll be about."

"Well."

She laughed again. "How about this?" and she went on to describe a thought she'd had as she was examining the Quincy twins.

He was silent for almost two minutes after she finished.

"You don't like it." He heard her disappointment.

"No, I like it. In fact, one could say I love it. I'm just thinking about the logistics of doing it."

Hours later, the usual group without House and Cameron sat in the booth at the diner. The team was still congratulating Hadley on coming up with the diagnosis for the their patient. But they hadn't missed the fact that House and Cameron weren't there.

"Where do you think they are?" Jacobs asked. "They're not usually this late."

Simpson laughed. "House's love of eating wouldn't let them."

"More important, what kind of contest could House have come up with?"Anita sipped her iced tea and glanced through the window at the parking lot.

"This is part of it," Wilson said. "A way to keep us guessing."

Magnani glanced at his watch. "Well, I'm ready to order." He waved for Linda's attention.

She took their orders, mostly for the special, Hungarian goulash, although Hadley and Jessica each asked for grilled tilapia.

"I guess it wouldn't be too bad living on the third floor," Jess said. "There's lots of potential to make it as great as the apartment on the second."

Wilson groaned. "Except for all those stairs."

"Maybe you can get House to put in an elevator," Simpson said.

Six pairs of eyes stared at him and six voices said, "Never."

They laughed, easing some of the tension that had built.

Jessica twisted her fork in her hand. "I suppose I should tell everyone that Twinkle is pregnant. In case it's part of the contest to guess, she'll soon have four kittens."

"Twinkle?" Wilson asked.

"The cat. The one that came with the house. Or rather attached herself to it." Jess grinned. "She's quite sweet."

"And you think House will somehow involve her pregnancy in the contest?" Anita asked.

"When he learns about it. Sure," Wilson said.

Hadley nodded. "I can see that happening. So, four? And when is she due?"

"Sometime in the next two or three weeks." Jessica put her fork down.

Anita squinted at her. "Can you be more precise? If we're going to have to guess, we need more information."


	8. Chapter 8

So I'll try another way to create breaks between sections of this story

 **Chapter 8.**

While the gang speculated about House's contest, he and Cameron were at the house on Burberry Street. They walked through the empty halls and rooms of the ground floor and even through the office.

"Do you really think this will work?" House asked.

"Sure." Cameron swept her arm nearly hitting the dental exam chair. "Tons they can look for."

"And you'll put together the lists?" House picked up and pocketed one of the tiny tubes of toothpaste, dentists give their patients.

She grinned that closed mouth grin he loved so much. "Be happy to." She picked up an item. "Here's something."

"But we have to make sure there's only one of each thing, and that we have an odd number of things."

"Not a problem. It'll work. You'll see." She motioned for him to sit in the chair. "Stay here and I'll scout out the second and third floor for more pieces to add to the list."

"Okay." He settled into the chair and closed his eyes. "But don't be too long. I'm getting hungry."

"I won't."

He opened one eye noticing she'd found a piece of paper and had jotted things down. Her return kept him from falling asleep.

"This chair is quite comfortable." He raised it and hopped off.

"Twenty-one items." Cameron waved her two sheets at him. "Should be enough."

"Did you include that old umbrella in holder?" he asked.

"Number fourteen." She laughed. "The women will have fun with this, I think. Not so sure about Wilson."

"Oh he's played enough games in the past."

They left with House locking up. During the ride to the diner, she read her list to him. Once in a while he'd even laugh or say, "You're kidding."

Everyone looked up from their food when House and Cameron walked in.

"We're almost finished," Simpson said.

"I'm sure Mo still has plenty for us," Cameron said.

"So?" Wilson dared to glare at House.

"So what?" House blanked his face.

In an annoyed voice, Wilson said, "You were going to tell us the rules of your contest."

"Patience, my old friend." House smiled his most evil smile. "All in good time."

"But you said..." Anita blurted.

"Uh, uh, uh." House held up a hand to stop her. "When I've completed the details, I'll let you know."

"Meaning you don't have any idea," Wilson said.

"I most certainly do. Ask my assistant." He pointed to Cameron

She smirked. "I'm your assistant now, am I?"

"Okay." His head went from one side to the other and back again. "Partner."

"That's better." She chuckled. "Yes, House does have most of the plan decided. But telling you all now would be premature."

"Not even a clue?" Hadley asked. "A teensy little clue?"

"What if I said I've decided not to rent your apartment," Wilson declared. "That I'm buying a house. Or, or building one like you and Cameron."

"Jim, I thought we decided," Jessica looked hurt.

He looked at her, reached for her hand. "I can afford to do that instead of participating in this childish game that exists just to amuse House." He looked at his friend. "If we pull out, there won't be any reason for you to go forward with this charade."

"I'm wounded!" House put a dramatic hand to he chest. "You're no fun anymore."

"You can have the fun of telling us what the contest was going to be, if Wilson is truly pulling out," Hadley said.

"Jessica, you wanted that apartment, didn't you?" House pleaded. "Talk some sense into this idiot."

"He does have a point, you know." Jessica nodded. "There's no reason for us to have to rent when we can buy a place of our own."

A puzzle piece found it's place in House's mind. "You were the other bidders on the house, weren't you? But you decided to save your money and rent a part of it instead." He sucked in his lips and then pushed them out again in a loud pop. "And now you're afraid you'll lose to the lovely Anita and the equally lovely Hadley."

"Thanks, I think," Hadley said.

Wilson shook his head. "You're not going to pull me in with your tricks."

"What tricks? It's the truth or it isn't." House developed a Cheshire cat grin. "You, James Wilson, boy wonder oncologist, are afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Wilson blubbered. "I just don't want to play your games."

"But you want to live in that apartment."

Wilson looked at Jessica and deflated. "Yeah. We fell in love with the building and would have bought it if you hadn't outbid us."

"House, tell them," Cameron urged.

"Tell them what?"

"Tell them that you plan to rent the second floor apartment and create another on the third floor to rent."

"They pretty much know that."

"So why the contest?" Simpson asked.

"We both want the second floor, because it's already set up for occupancy," Anita said.

Wilson crossed his arms the way he'd often seen Cameron do. "Why don't you tell us what idiotic contest you've come up with to decide who gets the second floor."

"Oh, all right." He looked peeved. "Spoil my fun. Cameron, give me the list. I was going to wait until tomorrow when I could have printed copies of this for you."

As Cameron handed the pages over, Jacobs asked, "What is it?"

"It seems the dentist left a lot behind. We do have to clean up the place, and what better way than a scavenger hunt?" Now that he started, House gained enthusiasm. "You'll be given duplicate copies of this list of items. There are twenty-one. We decided on an odd number in case, as I expect, both couples do well in finding these."

"Are they in the office?" Wilson asked, his previous objections pushed aside.

"They're all over the house. Some will be quite easy to find, others not so." House waved one sheet, not ready to show it to anyone. "From the time I give them to you, you'll have four hours to find as many items on the lists as you can. I close on the house Friday morning. The contest starts after you're all off the clock Friday evening. Get your running shoes ready."

Hadley and Anita exchanged determined smiles. "We can do it," Anita said. "Whatever you've got, bring it."

But Wilson and Jessica sought reassurance from each other with their eyes. "Jimmy, are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Let's wait and see this list. Who knows? Maybe we'll win."

* * *

"What are we going to do with the stuff they find?" Cameron asked a few hours later when they were alone in their room. They sat on the couch, arms around each other.

"Part of the plan was to get rid of the junk that's cluttering the place, right? We'll donate it or toss it somewhere." He rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "Does Shelby have a town dump?"

"I think so. Trash here and at the clinic is picked up by trucks once a week. I guess we can ask the trash collectors."

He smiled. "Or we can ask Mr. Google." He reached for his laptop out and turned it on. After a few searches, he turned to Cameron. "Did you know Shelby is best know for a kind of dumpling?"

"Of course I did. I'm running for the town board so I have to know those things." She tried to get him back on track. "Did you find the dump? "

"Not yet. How come Mo never makes dumplings?"

"You'll have to ask Mo. You're supposed to be finding the garbage dump." She tapped a foot.

"Yeah, yeah." His voice changed. "Here it is. It's on a side road off Bay Street before it gets to our new place. Should be easy to find." He closed the machine and put it away.

"Hadley and Anita seemed to be eager to start the hunt."

"Can't do it until I close on the house. I may have the keys, but technically, the building and everything in it isn't mine yet. I sure hope the dentist doesn't decide to remove anything before Friday evening."

Cameron stood and got a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "We can run by and check before we give each couple their copy of the list." She sat again. "I have to admit I believed this was silly at first, but now I'm actually looking forward to watching them."

"You don't think it's silly anymore?"

"No." She grinned. "It'll be fun watching how Wilson organizes the search with Jessica." Her grin disappears. "I hope it doesn't hurt their relationship. She's so good for him."

"If it does, it means it wasn't meant to be. Same for Hadley and Anita."

"How can you be so unfeeling." She frowned. "Right, you're House. You don't care about anyone else's happiness."

"It's just a scavenger hunt. Shouldn't be enough to break bonds if they're strong." He tilted his head. "Don't you think they have strong enough relationships that no matter what happens, they'll be good?"

"Well, yes. Guess we'll see on Friday."

* * *

Friday morning, House appeared at the bank promptly at ten. He was led to a conference room where he found a bank officer who looked young enough to still be in high school. A two stacks of papers and a pile of ballpoint pens sat on the table.

"Dr. House, this shouldn't take long, especially since you're not signing for a loan from the bank. I'm here to oversee the transaction. A representative of the seller, and the real estate agents involved in the sale will join us shortly, but first I must explain all the paperwork."

He went on to describe every one of the fifteen forms in excruciating detail. By the time he finished, House was falling asleep and only woke when the others joined them.

The seller's representative, a tall woman in a gray pantsuit, checked the first page then turned to House. "My client is pleased that you'll use his office for a physician's practice."

House put on his blandest expression. "That's the reason I'm purchasing this property. The existing arrangement."

Once everyone was seated, the signing began. Once more, the bank officer went over each page, handing copies to whoever had to sign them. House's pen ran out of ink before long. He started another. The process dragged on for two hours. By then, House was famished.

They finally reached the last page. After much hand shaking, the officer gave packets of pages to House and the seller's rep, and he was free to leave.

His first stop was the house. Had to confirm that the scavenger hunt articles were still there. He found them all except the umbrella. "Now where could that have gone?" He searched the entire ground floor, but couldn't find it. He's have to replace it on the list with something else, but what?

He headed for the clinic to consult with Cameron.

She was with a patient when he arrived, so he talked a bit with Naomi. "Have you thought about what will happen when Carol returns?" he asked.

"Allison told me there might be a job for me, but she's been so busy, she never elaborated."

House smiled. "She meant I'm opening a practice in town and will need someone with the kind of experience you're getting here."

She grinned. "That sounds good."

"The work will be similar to what you're doing here."

She tilted her head. "I'd like that, as long as I can have flexible enough hours that I can be there for my children when they come home from school."

House nodded. "We can arrange that."

Cameron walked out with her patient, and before she could take another, House led her back to the exam room. "The umbrella is missing," he announced.

"You came here to tell me that?"

"I came to ask what you suggest we add to the list in its place."

She sat down to think about what she'd seen the last time she was there. "How about the mantel clock."

"What mantel clock?"

"There's one on the mantel on the third floor."

"There is?" He smiled. "Okay. That's great."

"Oh, and House, make sure the lists are printed by a computer printer. Your handwriting leaves a lot to be desired in the legibility department."

"I'm a doctor. What do you expect?"

She was laughing and taking her next patient when he left.

He'd take Cameron's word about the clock and add it to the list. He realized too late that he could have it printed in the clinic. Now he'd have to search for someone willing to key in and print two copies of their list.


	9. Chapter 9

Guess what? I have another chapter for you.

Chapter 9.

When House arrived at the diner for dinner with Cameron, he waved the papers at Wilson, Jessica, Hadley and Anita. "As promised. These are the lists for the scavenger hunt. But I'll wait until I've eaten to give them to you, since you won't be able to get into the house without me." He grinned too sweetly.

"Eat fast," Hadley said, and Anita laughed.

"Just a peak?" Wilson asked.

"It won't help you get the items. They're all over the house. You'll just have to be patient a little longer."

Anita and Hadley were still eating, but Wilson and Jessica had finished long before. So had the team. Everyone watched House chew each bite of meat loaf and potatoes fifty times instead of gobbling his food down as he usually did. Wilson crossed his arms and Jessica beat a complex rhythm on the table.

House finished his food, but then ordered a slice of apple pie. While he waited for it, he smirked at Wilson. He ate it a little quicker than the meatloaf, becoming anxious himself to watch the contest unfold. He took out the lists and handed one to each of them, even the team. "You can help us tabulate who finds what," he told them.

They rose and went out to their cars, assembling again in front of the house. House led the way to the front door and opened it. "Let the games begin. Cameron and I will be sitting in the waiting room. You'll bring each item you find to us."

The team joined him and Cameron, and they waited, listening to the excited voices of three women and one man looking for twenty-one items.

Hadley brought the first one, a syringe from the dental supply cabinet. Jessica was second with the dental mold.

As time passed, each of them found a few items. They climbed the stairs for some, and found others in the assorted rooms on the ground floor. Before long, their faces became flushed, and they giggled, even Wilson. Rushing hither, thither and yon. Until the last item on the list was found. Then it was up to House and Cameron to determine who had found the most with help from the team. Cameron had made a huge spreadsheet that listed each item down one side with the four names across the top, in alphabetical order. Big red check marks were made under the name of the person who found each one, and then the marks were counted.

"Looks like Anita found the most with seven," House announced.

She and Hadley high-fived each other and grinned.

House smirked at Wilson. "James, you only found four. Bad luck."

Wilson and Jessica exchanged shrugs and grimaces.

"Bart, you put a mark in both your sister's column and Hadley's for the mantel clock," Magnani said.

"No I didn't." Simpson scowled.

"I'm afraid you did." Cameron frowned. "Which one found it? Not that it matters. It only gives Jess six leaving Remy with four, so she and Anita win with or without it."

Simpson sighed and frowned as he looked down. Wilson took Jess in his arms. Neither was smiling.

Hadley and Anita had a brief whispered conversation. When they finished, Hadley cleared her throat. "This was fun and all and we're glad we won, but it'll be easier for Anita and me to take the third floor, and let Dr. Wilson and Jessica have the second floor.

Wilson shook his head. "I'm not that decrepit. Yet." He glanced at Jessica and then back to Hadley. "You won fair and square."

"If you're still gonna argue about it, why'd I go to the trouble and effort to do this?" House sounded disgruntled, and he frowned.

"It was fun, and we needed fun," Anita said. "But I think Remy and I look forward to designing an apartment using what's already on the third floor."

House rolled his eyes.

Hadley nodded. "Yes. We fell in love with the fireplace in one room and the built-in shelves in another."

House's frown deepened. He'd lost control of the situation and didn't know how to get it back.

Cameron touched his arm. "Just be satisfied you had your fun. Let 'em fight it out. I have a feeling it'll work out fine in the end."

He looked at her and sighed. "Guess so. Let's get everyone out of here so I can lock up."

"Dr. House, what should we do with the items?" Jacobs pointed to the pile they'd made.

"We decided we'll donate them to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity," Cameron replied. "Leave everything for now. I'll call them both in the morning and see what they can use." She and House herded everyone out.

The two couples were still discussing who would live where, but it was a friendly sort of argument. The decision was already made.

House locked up and he and Cameron drove home. "That didn't turn out the way I expected," he said.

"Does it matter? Everyone's happy, and you have tenants for the rest of the house." She smiled. "Easy tenants for Edna to take care of."

"True. I still haven't decided what the rent should be, but if Thirteen and the Fed take the third floor, I probably shouldn't charge them until it's renovated." He was already calculating how much he could soak Wilson for the finished apartment.

"I expect they'll do some of that themselves."

"I hope they'll ask for my approval." He still didn't sound happy. "Who knows what those two will come up with."

She stroked his arm. "I know a way to cheer you up."

"Oh, yeah? Bet I can guess what you have in mind."

They were almost home, so Cameron didn't say or do anything else. Once they were in their apartment, though, she stroked his arm some more. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his lips, tasting the hint of pepper from his dinner.

"I like the way you go about cheering me," House said. His large hands rubbed her back, inching up the hem of her blouse.

She took her hands off his neck momentarily to unbutton the blouse and remove it, uncovering her satiny lilac bra.

He covered one globe with his hand. "Almost as soft and smooth as your skin, but I prefer the epidermis."

"Don't go all doctorly on me doctor."

His fingers tried to insinuate themselves inside the bra, but it was too tight so he shifted them around to the back and unhooked the barrier. Once they were exposed, his lips zoomed in on her nipples, sending shivers of excitement up her back and down again. "House, do that again." She gave up trying to analyze why his touch exhilarated her so and enjoyed the moment.

When he had enough of that, and seeing the effect it was having on Cameron, he upped his game, moving lower.

Saturday morning, they drove to the diner late for breakfast. "You sure know ways to give me an appetite," House stroked her arm as they walked to the front door.

The team awaited them, but no one else. "Where's everyone?" House asked.

"What are we? White bread?" Magnani asked.

Cameron laughed. "How were Wilson and Jess last night and this morning?"

"They've finally accepted Remy and Anita's offer," Jacobs replied. "I think they were going to ask you when they can move in."

"We'll miss them. We've gotten used to a very full house, although Remy spends most nights with Anita." Simpson sipped his coffee.

As he said that, Jessica and Wilson walked in. But when Wilson looked at House, his shoulders tensed and his hands shook.

"Sit," House said.

Wilson obeyed, and then Jessica did too, just in time for Hadley and Anita to arrive too.

"Wilson, your relationship with House hasn't changed," Cameron said. "You two can swap insults and stupid patter the same way you always have."

"Except he's now my landlord." Wilson pursed his lips.

House rolled his eyes. "Okay, as your landlord, I order you to unlax. Jeesh, you're making my coffee curdle."

Everyone laughed at that, even Wilson. "We wanted to know when we can move in," the oncologist said, re-assuming his demeanor.

"Your current...I'm not sure what to call them...these three clowns who've been sharing their rental property with you, they aren't ready for you to go." A smile lifted a corner of Cameron's lips.

Jessica scowled at her brother.

House held up a hand. "However, the sooner someone's living in the house, the better. If you can put up with all the renovations of the first floor and the third, you can move in tomorrow."

"I'll have to send for the furniture from my condo," Wilson said.

House nodded. "You do that. And meanwhile I'll arrange to have the rest of the work done. I'll talk to Will later today to see whether he and his crew can do any of the job."

"We'd like to have input on what you do with the third floor," Anita said.

"Okay, just nothing too out there."

"Trust me, we'll be very conservative in our décor."

"So, what's everyone doing today?" Jacobs asked, prompting a major change in conversation.

"I have a few things in storage too," Jessica told Wilson as they drove back to the team's house. "While you call about yours, I'll arrange for mine to be sent here."

"What kind of things?" Wilson asked. "Do you think we'll have enough room?"

"Relax. Only a bookcase full of books and a small desk and chair." She smiled. "They'll fit in with all of your furniture as if they always were there." She rummaged in her purse and pulled out a card. "This is the place everything's stored."

The team had gone off to do some shopping in Snow Hill, so they had the house to themselves. They sat opposite each other at the large kitchen table, sending messages to the storage facilities.

"It'll be strange to leave here," she said.

"We've only been here since we came from Princeton."

She shrugged. "That was several weeks ago. Besides, I liked being in the same house as my brother."

"Well, we'll have Hadley and Anita upstairs."

"Not to mention House in the office." She chuckled.

"Don't remind me. Although, if he keeps his usual hours, we'll be at work, when he's there." He sent off a final message. "We should have everything by the end of the week."

She rose and filled the coffeemaker. "This is going to work out perfectly."

House and Cameron drove out to the new house. "Will it be too much moving into two houses at once?" Cameron asked. "And starting a new practice at the same time?"

"I'm sure we'll have help, especially with my new office."

"But how will you get new patients?"

He shrugged. "You can refer them to me."

She bristled. "You mean the ones that need a real doctor."

"Not what I meant. Truth is, I haven't really thought about that."

"What, you thought you'd hang out a shingle and they'd flock to your door?"

"Something like that. Cameron, aren't there days when you're overrun with patients and have to send them to Snow Hill to see another doctor?"

"Usually if they need a specialist," she said. "But, yeah, there are days like that. In fact, I kinda wish you'd had that office open a few weeks ago when we were dealing with all those flu patients."

"My point exactly."

She had to laugh.

"Do you really have to work today?" Hadley stood blocking the door to Anita's motel room.

"Remind me you asked that when you're so involved in diagnosing a patient, you don't come home until after midnight." Anita remembered that had happened earlier in the week. "Besides, it shouldn't take long to debrief Gottlieb and Garcia. After all, if they'd found anything critical, they would have called me sooner." She grinned. "Wanna come with? Then maybe we can catch a movie or something."

"Where are you meeting with them?" Hadley moved away from the door.

"At the diner. We seem to spend more time there than anywhere else in town." Anita laughed.

"Maybe I'll go bother Mo or Linda while you do your espionage act with the guys."

Anita grabbed her purse. "Let's go."

They didn't bother to drive over. The walk in the crisp autumn air was invigorating. The diner was empty at that hour except for the two men and a group of women giggling over their coffee and pie.

Hadley sat at the counter, glanced at where Anita sat with the men and then turned her attention to Linda. "Would you happen to know how to make an egg cream?"

"Hey, you've come to the right place. That was my mother's drink of choice. Much preferred it to coffee or tea." Linda got out the ingredients, chocolate syrup, seltzer and milk.

Hadley swiveled her chair around to watch Anita and her co-agents just as one of them jumped out of his seat and left.


	10. Chapter 10

Here's another.

Chapter 10.

Anita and Gottlieb watched Garcia storm out of the diner. She glanced at Hadley, sending a message with her eyes to stay where she was at the diner counter.

"What got into him?" Gottlieb asked.

Anita turned her attention back to him "Haven't the slightest."

"I've worked with Tomas before, and he's never reacted like this, as if he's not sure whether he's disappointing you or himself."

"He's disappointing the bureau," she said. "By now he should have made progress getting the goods on the pharma company, but he's come up with zilch. Even less than the two civilians I had infiltrate the lab before you guys arrived."

"We're trying, you know." Gottlieb looked at the table.

"You're doing great. Some of those shots you got of the manufacturing plant will be useful. So why can't Garcia find anything in the labs?" Anita placed both palms on the table an leaned forward.

Gottlieb shrugged. "Maybe there's nothing to find."

She shook her head. "There has to be lots. We have samples of defective drugs. Just don't know why they'd make them on purpose, especially the flu vaccine."

"Yeah, you'd have to realize that would be caught by the doctors administering it, right? With so many patients, they'd notice."

"Yet Garcia can't find any sign of a conspiracy." She rubbed her face. "Maybe you and he should switch assignments."

"We could." He sat back in his seat. "Let me propose it to him so he doesn't take it poorly."

"Thanks." She reached out a hand and he shook it before standing and leaving.

Hadley waited a few minutes before joining Anita. "Everything okay? Why did one of them storm out of here?"

"I called him on not finding any more than Jessica or Mortimer. He's experienced, yet those civilians brought me more."

* * *

House and Cameron approached Anderson's deputies who were guarding the new house.

"We haven't seen anyone lurking nearby," the taller one said.

Cameron remembered his name was Walt Avery. He'd worked with Anderson on the investigation of Phyllis's nephew. "Thanks."

A car drove up, and they all turned to look. It was Will, bringing an uncharacteristic grin to House's face. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"Everything quiet here?" the contractor asked.

"So far," Avery replied and walked back to his station at the back of the house.

"I have another job for you," House said. "That is, if you're willing. I understand you built the dental office for the house I just purchased in town."

"The Fitzgerald house. Yes, I constructed the office for Dr. Fitz. Nice man."

"I want to convert that into a medical office with a lab and more exam rooms."

Will looked at the new house then back at Cameron and House. "I could do that when the last touches are done on this one, say a week or ten days."

"Perfect. Also, the third floor consists of a studio apartment and a room. Needs to be an apartment as nice as the one on the second floor."

Cameron smiled.

Will took a deep breath and held it long enough to think that over, then let it out. "Sure. I'd have to see the premises and draw up a plan, but sure, I can do that too."

"The future occupants will want some say on those plans." House took his own deep breath but didn't hold it as long. "They can be reasonable, I think."

"You'll find them easy to work with," Cameron said.

After Will left, House and Cameron drove back into town. "I want to take another look at the dental office," House said.

He drove to Hanbury St. For once they were able to park in front of the house. They climbed the steps to the front door, and House opened it. The air inside didn't smell as stale as it had the first time he was there. He strolled directly to the office and sat down in the dental chair to think. Cameron followed at a slower pace.

"I think I may keep this." House stood suddenly and strolled to the door.

When House and Cameron returned to the diner they found Anita and Hadley sitting in a different booth than usual. House would have left them there, but of course Cameron had to approach and ask them to come to their booth.

But before Cameron, Hadley and Anita reached House, Owen Marshall stopped at the booth. "We need to talk," he told House.

"What about? Cameron's campaign?"

Marshall pointed at his chest. "You're spying on me."

"Why would I?"

"Because you found out I own the property next to yours." Marshall glared at House.

"As I remember, you objected to me purchasing that property. We're beginning to realize why. But for the life of me I can't understand why you'd send thugs to vandalize the construction or attack the men guarding it."

Marshall's brows drew together and his mouth hung open. He blustered, "You think that was my doing?"

"Someone had it done, and the cops traced tire tracks from the first incident to trucks on your property."

Marshall sat down and slumped.

"That seat's taken," House said.

Marshall looked at him with a blank expression then stood and walked away in a seeming daze.

Finally, Cameron and the other two women came over.

"What was that all about?" Anita asked.

"You hear any of it?" He countered. "I'm beginning to think Marshall knew nothing about the events at the new house."

"You may be right. I don't like him, but that doesn't make him guilty of anything," Cameron said.

"Even if he's unaware of the events out at your house, it doesn't mean he knows nothing about what's happening at his plant and lab," Anita said.

House glared at the her. Then he turned his expression on Cameron. "I liked it better when this was our booth, and we weren't sharing it with everyone and their brothers."

"I don't have a brother," Hadley said. "Unless you're talking about Jess and Bart."

Cameron rolled her eyes. "I enjoy having others share the booth with us. If you didn't want to have anything to do with anyone, why did you agree to rent them apartments in your office building?"

"No fair, all three of you ganging up against me." He frowned.

"How do you put up with him?" Hadley asked Cameron.

"He has his moments." Cameron suppressed a big grin. She was saved from elaborating by the arrival of Wilson and Jessica.

"House, I don't know whether you've tried to arrange the delivery of the furniture and other items you have in storage, but know it'll take a looonnng time." Wilson collapsed on the end of the seat at the booth.

"He's right," Jessica said. "You'd think it would be simple, but nooo. The storage companies act like they own your stuff and don't want to let it go."

"And then there's the coordination of deliveries." Wilson rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for the advice," Cameron said. "It won't be long before we have to go through that too."

"Yes, us, too," Anita said. "But at least we now have a place to put our stuff."

"Not so fast." House held up a hand. "If you put your stuff in your apartment before Will does his magic, it'll be harder for him."

"But his magic, as you call it, won't take long, right? You have spoken to him, haven't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. He's agreed to do the work, but he'll renovate the ground floor first." House smirked at Wilson. "And I bet you don't want to live there with all the construction going on."

"I've lived through worse." Wilson smirked back. "The furniture won't be delivered for two weeks, so we'll move in then, construction or not."

"We can help Will with the changes to our apartment," Anita said. "I can swing a hammer with the best of them."

Hadley nodded. "Me too."

"Don't you each have other things to do?" House stared at Hadley.

"I was thinking evenings and weekends."

"How long does Will think it'll all take?" Anita asked.

"He hasn't even seen the place yet. And we don't know what you two ladies want on the third floor."

"Mostly to combine the rooms and maybe modernize the kitchen," Hadley said. "We'll take care of decorating later." She glanced at Anita.

"We don't need any work in our place." Jessica smiled.

"You still haven't told me how much you're soaking us for." Wilson sipped his coffee.

"How much are you willing to pay?" House asked.

Wilson looked puzzled. "And if I said nothing?"

"C'mon, you have to do better than that." House started writing number on a paper napkin. He handed it to Wilson. "Pick one."

Wilson laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

"What did he write?" Jess reached for the napkin. "Let me see."

"Okay, eight hundred." Wilson stared at House.

"But that's the highest number on this." Jessica's eyes were wide.

* * *

The other two agents entered the diner and took seats at another table. Anita excused herself to go talk to them. Hadley watched her go with worry in her eyes.

Before she sat down, Gottlieb said, "Anita, I spoke to Garcia and he understands why you were so upset with him earlier."

Garcia held out a hand. Anita shook it and then sat. "Any news? Either of you?" She looked from one to the other eagerly.

"I think I have something," Garcia said. "I was scheduled to work this afternoon, some kind of emergency testing, but we were met at the door by one of the higher ups, guy named Tolliver stood outside the doors to tell anyone who arrived that the emergency was over. Seemed fishy to me."

"Tolliver's a fishy guy." Anita nodded. "He's an executive but his bank accounts and portfolio are those of a man owning a multi-billion dollar enterprise."

"You should have told me. Because I questioned his right to keep us from doing our jobs." Garcia shook his head. "I think the only reason he didn't fire me was because I'm new and 'didn't know the rules yet'."

"Keep an eye on him, but don't do anything that draws attention to you." Anita shook hands with the two men and returned to House and Cameron's booth.

"Anything?" Hadley asked.

Anita looked at everyone present, settling eventually on Jessica. "Tolliver again."

"Why am I not surprised?" House asked. "Wonder whether Marshall's aware of some of Tolliver's activities."

"What I want to know is why, I mean, what do they get out of marketing defective products?" Cameron shook her head then suddenly stopped. "Could this be a campaign against Owen Marshall?" She emphasized the name.

Anita's eyebrows went up. "That's an angle I hadn't thought of. Tolliver could be trying to make Marshall and his company look bad."

"And pets and people suffer," Jessica said.

"People like Tolliver don't care about that." Hadley pushed her plate toward the center of the table. "Anyone want my French fries?"

"Is that even a question?" House pulled the plate toward his own. "Interesting explanation for what's happened." He munched a fry as he said, "How do we prove it? And what does it have to do with the incidents at the new house, or Marshall's opposition to the construction?"

"Garcia will try to find out more about Tolliver, and meanwhile I'll look further into his background," Anita said.

"And I'm going to talk to Owen about him," Cameron decided.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Jess asked.

"He wanted to know whether we were spying on him. I'll tell him what we found and ask whether he knew about it. Watch his reactions."

"Cameron, please wait until we give you the go ahead, okay?" Anita reached a hand out to grip hers. "I want to be sure that Owen Marshall isn't involved in anything happening at his plant and labs."

Cameron took a deep breath, glanced at House who gave a slight nod, and exhaled slowly. "I guess so. But let me know as soon as you do."

Hadley and Anita were the last of the group to leave the diner. "Listening to Wilson and Jess yesterday got me thinking about moving my things down here." Anita sipped the remaining gulps of her coffee.

"How large a place do you have? I never asked."

"It's a furnished studio apartment, the most I could afford at Washington prices." "How about you? Do you have a lot left in Princeton?"

"I have a full apartment worth." Hadley laughed. "I left it all because I didn't think I'd be sticking around there this longer, and now I guess I won't leave."

"That's good, because the thought of going out and buying furniture didn't thrill me."

Hadley smirked. "Don't go expecting high-class stuff. It's mostly furniture from my aunt's home and a few thrift shop pieces."

"Guess we'll see what we still need when it gets here."


	11. Chapter 11

And another.

 **Chapter 11**

On Sunday, House and Cameron took a break from intrigue, new houses, patients and the gang at the diner. They'd accepted an invite from Pete to go out on the Bay for a morning of fishing.

"Might be the last this year," Pete said. "Gonna get too cold soon."

"It's a beautiful day today, though." Cameron stood on the port bow, her hoody zipped up against the light sea breeze.

"Caught anything good lately?" House asked Pete.

"Not much," Pete frowned and shook his head. "Most o' what I caught lately was too small ta keep. Fishing's been a bit poor lately. Maybe today'll be better."

"Is that normal for this time of year?" Cameron took a deep breath of sea air then turned to Pete and changed the subject. "How well do you know Owen Marshall?"

"Marshall? Big man in this town. He's on the council yer runnin' for, ya know?" He shook his head. "Ya don' wanna cross him."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience," House said.

"Me? Nah. I fly under his radar. But there's folks in town who can tell ya stuff. Anyways, whatever he does, it's always legit. So I guess I ain't got no quarrels with him."

Cameron rubbed her hands together. "Pete, do you think he'd allow less than careful work at his labs or manufacturing plant?"

"Don' know nothing 'bout that. Only he don't tolerate shoddy work."

"So if his products are defective, he wouldn't like it?" House asked.

Pete shook his head again. "Never."

* * *

The subject of their discussion made a surprise visit to the his labs, but found no cars in the parking lot. He had a key, so he entered. He went from room to empty room, examining the pills and powders and liquids scheduled to be sent to the manufacturing plant for compounding, bottling and distribution to pharmacies, clinics and hospitals throughout the state. But he didn't have the ability to determine what was in them, so he took a few samples to have tested.

Next, he drove to the plant expecting to find the weekend staff there at least. Again, the premises was empty. He stood at the back door looking toward the almost finished house less than two tenths of a mile away. Why would anyone vandalize the place? He saw the guards, probably Chief Anderson's men.

He'd have to have a long talk with Finnegan and Johnson on Monday morning.

* * *

Anita and Hadley sat in Anita's room at the motel discussing room arrangement for their apartment. A close to scale drawing sat on the table in front of them. "I'd rather have the linen closet close to the bathroom," Hadley said.

"But that cuts into the amount of space for the stacked washer/dryer." Anita bit the back end of the marker she was using.

"If the bathroom's a little bigger, we can put the machines there." Hadley smirked. "That is, if the floor is strong enough to support them."

"It better be, and for the dishwasher too."

"Wasn't there already one there, in the efficiency apartment?" Hadley asked.

"Yes, you're right. What I think we need is more windows." Anita pointed to the line at the back of the building. "I think there's one about here." She drew it. "Granted they'll all face the back of the house."

"But if someone cleans up the garden, that'll be a great view."

"Someone?" Anita chuckled.

Hadley held her hands up. "Hey, don't look at me. I have a black thumb."

"You can wield a rake, can't you? It'll take no time to clean the place up. Who knows what the former owners planted that'll come up again?"

"What about the cat?" Hadley picked up a marker but didn't draw anything.

Anita shrugged. "I don't mind them, but would rather not take care of it."

"She isn't an it. Guess our resident veterinarian might want to care of her until she has her kittens."

"And Mrs. McClelland," Anita reminded her.

"We'll have to make sure we're there when House meets with Will Davis. I can just imagine what the men will come up with!"

* * *

The veterinarian was spending Sunday afternoon with her boyfriend, her brother, and her brother's teammates, playing Scrabble.

"Guess this is one of the last times we can do this," Bart said.

"We're only moving about two miles away," Jessica replied. "And you've lived without me before." She hugged her brother.

"Yes, we can come by on weekends to play Scrabble and eat." Wilson looked at his letters and shook his head. "Although, Rocco, you have to give me your recipe for cannelloni, or at least the sauce you make for it."

"But if I do, you'll have less of a reason to come here." Magnani spelled the word 'crayon' using an 'n' on the board.

"That doesn't help," Wilson said. He looked at his vowels again. The best he could come up with was 'area' using Magnani's 'r' or 'aye' using the 'y'. He opted for the latter since it gave him more points.

"You can always come over to our new place." Jess was next, but her mind wasn't on the game, it was on moving. Still, it occurred to her that Wilson gave her the perfect spot to spell 'strayed.' "Not a lot of points, but at least it gets rid of four of my consonants."

He sneered at her. "We haven't moved in yet and you're already inviting people over?"

"Why not? They've shared their place with us for months. We can at least offer our hospitality to them."

He stared at his tiles, thinking about that.

The game went on for hours. When they finally finished, Magnani won, and Wilson agreed they should meet once a week to play games.

* * *

The next morning, Wilson, the team and Hadley headed for the hospital, while Cameron opened the clinic and Jessica welcomed the newest pet patients to the veterinary office. House slept in.

The clinic was so busy, Cameron didn't stop for lunch. At one, Naomi brought her a sandwich.

"I thought we'd be finished with flu patients by now," Cameron said. She ate half of the sandwich and called the next patient. It was standing room only in the waiting room. "Aside from a broken arm, that's all it's been. That defective vaccine has caused havoc."

"A few of the patients even complained that you gave them the vaccine, but they got the flu anyway. I told them we've uncovered something was wrong with the vaccine and we're looking into it," Naomi said.

"Thanks." But it didn't make Cameron happier or cut back on the number of patients she had to treat.

* * *

Monday morning, Owen Marshall took the samples he'd gotten at the pharma lab to a reputable analysis place in Snow Hill. He paid to have the work done quickly, then went to a nearby restaurant to wait for the results. The place was far enough away from the hospital that he wouldn't run into any of the doctors, especially House.

After an early lunch, he returned to the chemical testing facility to get his results. They were what he feared, confirming House's accusations. The vaccine would work for only two strains, and not the one that had been prevalent that year. Meanwhile, the pet medicine contained only fillers and carriers, no effective ingredients at all. Patients were getting the equivalent of a placebo.

He got back in his car and drove slowly north to Shelby, with a lot to think about. How could he save his company?

* * *

When House finally rose, he dressed, stopped for coffee and a danish at the diner and continued on to the hospital. Time to take care of something.

Hadley found him in his office loading all sorts of items into cardboard boxes. She smiled. "I see you've been busy."

"Yup. Time to clear my stuff out of here and make room for you."

She looked around. "I never had so spacious and bright a room as this. How'd you wrangle it?"

"I have friends in high places." He wiggled his eyebrows, and she laughed. He pointed to the chair. "Great for naps."

She sneered. "I thought I was taking your place, running the team."

"Exactly my point. I found the best way to get them to work their hardest was to be an absent boss." He moved closer and whispered, "Don't ever tell them I said this, but they're good and getting better Don't need much supervision."

She laughed. "Guess I lucked into a cushy job."

"You still have to throw them a curve ball once in a while. Keeps 'em on their toes."

"All this is good to know." She couldn't stop laughing. "But when do I get to do doctor stuff?"

"When they're stumped, of course. It happens." He made sure no one was listening and whispered again, "Sometimes I check what they've written on the whiteboard and make minor changes that send them in the right direction. I picked you because I believe you'll know when you'll have to do that." He sealed the box he'd been working on. "I'm taking this to my car."

"I'll help." She grabbed another full box and followed him to the garage.

* * *

At two that afternoon, Edna brought the cat to the vet clinic for her followup exam. Jessica smiled when she saw them both. She took the cat in her arms and rubbed the head between the ears. "Miss me?" she asked the animal, but Tabby just yawned, exposing her sharp little teeth.

"I understand you'll be living in the house on Hanbury street," Edna said.

"Yes. James and I will live on the second floor, and Anita and Remy on the top."

Edna smiled. "Saves me the job of interviewing new tenants."

Jessica checked out the cat. "We gave her shots last time, but there are more we'll have to administer in another month. How's she been eating?"

"Quite well. She loves tuna much more than chicken. God knows what she'd been subsisting on until Dr. House found her." She took the cat back from Jessica. "I think we should change her name."

"Oh? Have anything in mind?"

"What do you think of Gregoria, Greggie for short?"

Jessica chuckled. "House will kill you. No, I think we can stick with Tabby. Maybe have people name the kittens. Wonder if we should keep them all at the house."

"She's probably a good mouser, but the kittens might be too much trouble."

"Guess we'll see what everyone else thinks."

* * *

Marshall drove first to the testing laboratory for his company. He took the elevator to the office floor and marched straight to Finnegan's door. He knocked but didn't wait for an invitation to enter.

"What do you think you're doing?" He kept his voice even, at least to start. "We're supposed to be helping people with our products."

Instead of being intimidated, Finnegan shot back, "That's what we do. We test the formulations here and then manufacture the best at the plant."

"So why are our recent products defective?" Marshall's voice rose. "Why doesn't our flu vaccine contain the most important strain for this year? The CDC sets the guidelines for what they should comprise each year. Ours doesn't follow those, and so there's a widespread epidemic in this state."

Finnegan smirked. "And I understood from you that we need a profitable bottom line. We can't do that with all the rules and regulations we get from the government."

"Have some sense, Finnegan. Yes I want this company to stay in the black, but not at the expense of our patients." He suddenly noticed that Finnegan had a stack of papers he was feeding into the shredder. "What have you got there?"

Finnegan quickly hid the papers behind his back, but Marshall reached behind him and snatched a few. He scanned the first in his hand. "These are complaints from doctors and hospitals about our vaccine. Did you think you could hide them by shredding them?"

"I...I wanted to get rid of excess paper."

"And I'm beginning to think I have to get rid of excess executives who make unilateral decisions that can take this company down," Marshall shouted. He poked a finger in Finnegan's chest. "Or is that your plan? Who are you working for, me or some rival of Marshall's Pharmaceuticals?"

Finnegan blustered, "Y...y...you, of course. I'd never do anything to harm this company."

"But you already have. We've got doctors and hospitals sending complaints." Marshall shook the papers in his hands. "And I'm beginning to think the Feds are looking our way."


	12. Chapter 12

Next weekend, I'll be selling my novels at a gem and mineral show at Buffalo Thunder, a hotel and casino north of Santa Fe, so I probably won't have another chapter ready to post until Monday or Tuesday.

 **Chapter 12.**

Owen Marshall's next stop was the plant. He went directly to the supervisor's office and confronted him the same way he had Finnegan. "Are you purposely putting out defective products to ruin me and this company? Haven't I treated you well all these years?"

Harris, the supervisor, stared at him as if he'd gone off his rocker. "We're producing whatever the lab specifications tell us. I always assume they've tested their formulations before they send them on to us."

Marshall changed tactics. "What is this I hear about attacks at the house being built south of here?"

"We thought they were getting too nosy. Maybe industrial spies, ya know?"

Marshall got in his face. "They're a couple of doctors who've become well-respected in the community. I don't want to learn about any future vandalism at that construction site, hear?"

"Sure, boss. I'll send the word out to the workers here." He backed away. But his expression was more defiant than cooperative "Is that all?"

"For now." Marshall left, driving back into Shelby. It was almost five already. He needed to talk to House and knew where to find him. When he pulled into the diner parking lot, he saw House's car and smiled.

House was not alone.

"I need to speak to you," Marshall said.

"Have a seat."

Marshall looked at the dark-haired woman sitting with him. "Alone." He looked down the row of booths stretching along the window side of the diner.

"If this is about what we discussed yesterday, we can include Anita." House smiled. "Owen Marshall, guess you don't know FBI Agent Anita Morrow."

"Actually, those two guys at the counter should be included." Anita called Garcia and Gottlieb over.

Marshall cringed. So, he was right about what he told Finnegan. The feds were onto whatever was happening at the labs. "First of all, I want to insist that I had no knowledge about what was happening at the laboratory."

"We'd begun to suspect that."

"I should have been more diligent about keeping track of what was going on. That's my only guilt." Marshall looked from one person to another. "This morning, I found Neil Finnegan shredding complaints about our products. I have some of them here." He pulled the papers from his pocket. "Dr. House, I haven't finished looking into the events out at your house, though. I got the feeling that something else is going on out at the plant."

"I think you're right," Gottlieb said. "I wasn't going to bring this up until I had proof in the form of pictures, but I suspect there's been some illegal dumping of chemicals at the plant site." He looked at Marshall, who groaned. "If I can have your permission, I'd like to have the soil samples."

Anita's wide-eyed stare showed her surprise. "What made you suspicious of that?"

Gottlieb raised his brows. "For one thing, they've discontinued trash pickup."

"What?" Marshall stood suddenly. "I pay for disposal of hazardous wastes. It's the only way to run a clean operation."

"Obviously, that's not happening."

Marshall sat again. "I'll give you permission to search the plant, inside and out. We need to get to the bottom of this." He looked at them. "Thank you. Thank you all."

* * *

Cameron was finally finished with patients at five-thirty. She dragged herself over to the diner to find the team and Hadley in the booth, but House and Anita talking to Owen Marshall and the other two agents.

"What's with that?" she asked, as she tried to decide whether to plop down right there or join House and Anita.

"They've been over there since we arrived," Jacobs said.

Hadley smirked. "They seemed pretty intense a short while ago, but I'm sure Anita will tell us something about it, even if House doesn't."

Cameron nodded. Tiredness won out and she sat. "What's everyone having?" She looked hungrily at the almost empty plates.

"I had the stew," Simpson said. "Always a good choice."

"And Rocco and I had the meatloaf." Jacobs scooped up a last mouthful and put it in her mouth.

"Remy?" Cameron couldn't make out what had been on the plate that only held a yellowish liquid.

Hadley laughed. "It was a kind of mac and cheese, but with all sorts of other ingredients, mostly vegetables."

"Oh, that sounds good." Cameron got Chrissy's attention and ordered.

Hadley checked her watch. "Is House still planning to meet with Will this evening? He'd changed the meeting from five to eight, but at the rate he and Anita are going, we might not be able to make that."

Cameron shook her head. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him since this morning. I guess it's still on. Can't wait to see Will's reaction to the house, and what you and House want him to do."

"Got all our notes right here." Hadley tapped her messenger bag.

Wilson and Jessica entered the diner, frowned when they saw House, Anita and Marshall with the other two agents, and pulled up chairs to join the group.

"What's that all about?" Wilson asked.

Cameron shrugged. "I just got here, but apparently Marshall's coming clean about what he knows."

"It may not be much," Jessica said. "He looks like he's had horrible news today."

"I kinda hope he wasn't involved," Cameron said. "Much as we've butted heads, I think he always wants the best for Shelby and the citizens of the town."

"Well, someone's responsible for the bad medicines produced by the plant and for the attacks at your house," Jess said. "My monies on Finnegan."

Cameron nodded. "Guess we'll find out what Marshall said." She pointed to House and Anita heading their way and talking quietly.

Anita chuckled at all the eyes on them. "I expect you wonder what that was about," she said.

House just stared at Magnani until the younger man stood to allow House to sit.

As everyone expected, it was Anita who revealed some of what she'd learned from Marshall. "He's particularly suspicious of Neil Finnegan."

"What'd I tell you?" Hadley muttered.

"He's agreed to help us get further evidence of what Finnegan had the lab employees do, and he'll also help investigate what's happening at the plant." Anita signaled to Chrissy to take her dinner order.

"There's more?" Cameron looked from Anita to House and back.

Anita nodded. "It's possible they've been illegally dumping toxic wastes."

Cameron's eyes grew wide.

Chrissy brought Cameron's dinner and took Anita and House's orders. While he waited, House stole a piece of the garlic bread on Cameron's plate.

"Do you believe him?" Hadley asked.

"You mean Marshall? Yes, he's being very cooperative," Anita said. "He seems embarrassed that he hadn't noticed what was happening." She smiled.

House nodded. "Poor thing is falling all over himself to make amends. Not that it helps everyone dealing with the flu epidemic."

"At least the animal meds weren't widely distributed." Jessica swiped at a bit of something on her lips. "Speaking of animals, Edna brought Tabby in today for a follow-up exam."

"How's she doing?" Jacobs asked.

"It won't be that long before she has her kittens, which brings up the question of what we do with them, or even with Tabby."

"Tabby belongs at the office," House said as if there was no question.

"And the kittens?"

"We can take one," Jacobs said.

"We take it if you'll take care of it." Magnani grimaced.

Simpson tilted his head. "Don't you like cats?"

"They're okay, I suppose, but..." he bit his lip, looked at Jacobs and said, "Oh, all right. We'll take one."

Anita's eyes narrowed. "How many do you think there'll be?"

Jessica was the only one who knew. "At least four. So that's one. Jimmy, can we take one?"

Wilson had been silent until then. "Never had a cat. I guess we can."

"Two down." Jessica turned to Hadley. "How about the two of you?"

"Doesn't Edna want one?"

Jessica frowned. "I suppose. I didn't ask her, but she'll probably take care of Tabby since she's overseeing things at the house."

"I like cats," Anita said. "Prefer dogs, but cats are actually easier. Remy? Should we?"

"Why not? But we'll have to include plans for that when we meet with Will. Speaking of which..." She pointedly looked at her watch.

Anita shoved a forkful in her mouth, chewed and swallowed. "Almost done."

The two of them looked at House. His plate was almost empty too, but there was always the chance he'd decide he couldn't leave without dessert.

He dropped his fork on his plate with a clatter. "Scoot out again," he told Magnani. "I'll be back." With that, he led Anita and Hadley out the door.

"Aren't you going with them?" Jessica asked Cameron.

She shook her head. "Not my office or apartment, so they can make those decisions for themselves."

* * *

House and the two women drove separately to the house. Will waited for them, leaning against his pickup truck.

"Let's do this," House said, launching up the stairs to the front door.

Anita and Hadley introduced themselves to the contractor. "We have a few ideas for our apartment on the third floor," Anita said.

House led them into the office.

"I remember when I was renovating and building this office for Dr. Fitzgerald, I was amazed at how solid the basic structure of the house is." Will took out a pad to make notes.

"I want to double the size of the office using the existing ground floor rooms. Need a large waiting room and a couple more exam rooms," House waved an arm to indicate the entire floor.

"Not a problem," Will agreed. There are a few non-bearing walls we can remove.

"And I need a lab, so a couple of rooms next to each other with sinks."

"There's a bathroom down here. I suspect you want to keep that and add the labs to it."

House hadn't thought about that, but it made sense.

"Did you want patients to enter through the front door or the hall. Or both?" Will sketched what he had in mind.

Something else House hadn't considered. Certainly, Edna should be able to have access to the office.

"I also want a small office off the hall for Edna."

"Edna McClelland? Sure. Is she going to act as..." Will didn't have a term for it.

"House mother," Hadley said and laughed. "Yes, that should be her title."

"The next floor will remain as it is?"

"I understand it was recently remodeled. The new residents are happy with the way it is."

"On to the third floor, then."

House remained behind while they trooped up the stairs to Anita and Hadley's new abode. Hadley took out the sketch they'd made of some of the changes they wanted.

"Mostly we want this to be one apartment rather than two separate places." Anita pointed to the two doors, each leading to another one.

"Gotcha." Will nodded. "This will be fun. I look forward to working with the two of you."

"And House?"

He shrugged. "He's never given me any trouble."

As they went from room to room, Anita and Hadley pointed out what they thought should be done, and Will told them what was possible.

"You can visit Franklin's Hardware store here in town and pick out tile and paint," he said. "Doorknobs and fixtures, too."

"How soon do you want to know our selections?" Hadley asked.

"Will two weeks give you enough time to decide?"

The women exchanged nods and Hadley said, "Sure."

Will shook hands with them. He smiled and said, "Can't wait to get started. This job will be a challenge, but also fun."

"Dr. Wilson and his girlfriend will move into the second-floor apartment before you're done," Anita said. "Will that be a problem?"

"Not for me or my guys. I only hope they don't mind the hammering, smell of paint, and piles of materials waiting to be used."

"They've been warned."

They found House waiting for them downstairs. "Well?" he asked.

"Well, I know what I have to do. I'll have an estimate to you in the next few days, assuming you're paying for all the renovations."

House was not one to part with funds easily, but this was all his idea, so he agreed. "Once we agree on the price, when can you start?"

Will looked at a calendar on his phone. "The new house will be finished in another week, so I can start right after that. I have other jobs, but this shouldn't interfere with any of them."

"Can't wait to get started," Anita said. "We'll pay a visit to the hardware store this week some time and pick out as much as we can." She rubbed her hand along the side of her leg. "Hope we can help with the work."

Will looked at her and then Hadley. "Sure. As long as you know how to use a paintbrush and a screwdriver, I welcome the help. My guys won't mind having you around, either. One thing, though, they are union, so I'll have to see what the rules are for the clients doing some of the work."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Hadley said, but Anita smirked. "I had."


	13. Chapter 13

Had a good weekend in Santa Fe, although I didn't sell as much as I do at comic cons and science fiction and fantasy cons.

 **Chapter 13.**

The following morning, Anita met again with a somber Owen Marshall at the diner. House knew about the meeting, and promised to be along "momentarily", but Anita represented a government agency and her business with Marshall was official. It didn't require the presence of a doctor.

She took out her notes. "We've accepted that you were unaware that anything wrong was happening at either your lab or manufacturing plant."

Marshall nodded. "I feel like a fool, but rather a fool than a felon."

Anita smiled. "The evidence is clear, though, that Finnegan and possibly others in authority not only condoned but encouraged shoddy work. Do you know who authorized the dumping of chemicals at the plant?" She was ready to add a few more names.

"The only one who could, is Charlie Harris." Marshall grumbled. "I should have trusted my gut and never hired him."

Anita added that name to her list of persons to be charged. "We'll need more specific evidence but now we know where to look. Thanks for cooperating, Mr. Marshall."

Linda poured them both coffee just as House and Cameron arrived.

"There was another incident out at the house this morning, but the cops and Will's people were able to intercept the men bent on damaging the windows and front door." House looked at Marshall. "Anderson's men brought them in for questioning."

Marshall smiled. "Good. Maybe They'll admit that it was Harris behind whatever has happened out there."

House scratched behind his ear. "I'm almost glad it isn't you."

"Doctor, you and I have had our differences, but we both live in this town and we both have the best intentions to make it a great place to live." Marshall sipped his coffee.

"I'm going to hold you to that," House said.

"I have a meeting with my lawyers." Marshall took his overcoat and stood. "Agent, Doctor, I'll see you both again soon."

"Good morning, Mr. Marshall." Anita smiled.

House could hardly wait for him to leave before saying, "So, he's clear of everything?"

"Seems that way." Anita nodded. "We'll charge Finnegan and everyone else we have evidence against, but Marshall wasn't involved."

"I wonder whether this will affect his attitude toward my candidacy for the town board," Cameron said.

House smiled. "He came to me when he realized what I told him was true. Owen Marshall may yet become a friend."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far." Cameron rolled her eyes.

Hadley arrived with the team, Wilson and Jessica, and joined them in the booth.

"How did it go with Will yesterday?" Cameron asked Hadley and Anita.

"He said he can start next week." Hadley rubbed her palms together.

Anita nodded. "He has a good idea of what we want. Now all we have to do is pick stuff out."

"We can go when I get back from the hospital this evening," Hadley said.

"Why don't I meet you at the hardware store?" Anita suggested. "Say five forty-five?"

"Sounds good." Hadley took a sip of the coffee Linda poured while they were talking.

"Oooh, what are you picking out?" Jacobs asked as she pulled over a chair.

"Paint, tile, that sort of thing," said Anita.

Jacobs grinned. "I love that stuff. Mind if I come along? I'm pretty good at it."

Hadley and Anita exchanged shrugs. "Sure."

"And we'll move in the week after." Wilson took Jessica's hand. "We'll try to stay out of the workers hair as much as we can."

House had been letting them talk, but he couldn't resist saying, "You could offer to help."

"I doubt it's necessary. I expect Hadley is handier with a hammer than I am, and you saw the disaster when I tried to paint my kitchen."

"If you need, we can help," Jacobs volunteered.

Simpson frowned at her, but Magnani nodded his agreement.

House was happy that Will hadn't asked him to pick out tile and paint for his office spaces. Instead, he'd told the contractor what would go where in them. The color scheme was up to Will. He'd would follow through what was already there. Besides, he and Cameron would be busy moving into their house. His stomach did flips when he thought about it. His own house, his castle. He grinned and glanced at Cameron. She was listening to the younger folks and Wilson too.

She glanced at her watch, took a sip of coffee, and had Jessica swivel to allow Cameron to exit. "See you all later. Gotta check how many more cases of flu I have." She sped out the door.

* * *

It was standing room only at the clinic, even though they didn't officially open for another fifteen minutes.

"Who was here first?" Cameron asked.

Naomi had a list. "Mrs. Watson and her baby."

Cameron ushered them into her exam room. Baby Felisha was crying and her face was red, her forehead hot to Cameron's touch. "I'll give her a shot of antibiotics and prescribe an ongoing dose. This flu has been rough this year." No sense talking about what they'd found concerning the vaccine.

"Me too," Mrs. Watson said. "I'm just glad my older daughter hasn't gotten it. We've kept away from her, although she looks so pitiful sometimes, wanting to be cuddled."

Cameron had treated three-year-old Letitia six months back when the little girl had a reaction to a bee bite. She took the mother's temperature. "You're not as hot as your baby, but I'll prescribe an antibiotic for you too. It won't be long before you can cuddle Letitia all she wants."

* * *

Anita had some loose ends to tie up concerning the case of Marshall Pharmaceuticals. One more trip to the factory to look for evidence of illegal disposal of wastes. Had they washed out to the bay? She might have to call in the EPA if they had. Gottlieb was still gathering data to use against Harris.

As she approached the building from the parking lot, an armed guard appeared. She showed her credentials. "Where's the inlet to the building for water?" she asked.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Look, lady. I just guard the front entrance. Don't know nothing about the building."

She set her mouth in a line. "Perhaps I can have a word with your superior."

"He ain't here." The guard sneered.

"Well, then, let me in to talk to whoever is in charge of the place." She'd dealt with people like him before.

He nodded and held open the door for her. "That'll be Mr. Harris. His office is the fourth door on the right."

She strode to Harris' office, knocked, and entered. Harris looked up from his computer. He frowned. "Who let you in?"

"The guard." She held up her credentials again. "I have some questions for you about the water you use in this building."

"What about it?" His brows lowered over his eyes.

"Where does the wastewater go?" she asked. "And why did you cancel the trash pick-up service that used to handle your wastes?"

"Gotta keep costs down. Too much pressure on pharma companies to cut the amount folks have to pay for medicines." He scratched his ear.

"So those were cost cutting measures?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Gotta do that where we can."

She nodded, hoping to encourage him to say more.

"The boss sent down word to cut expenses, and Finnegan, you know him?" Harris' eyebrows went up.

"The man who runs the labs."

"Yeah, him. He says, 'why do we have to pay for sewage when we have a convenient stream running just behind the building?' So we started using that."

"Where does it run?" Anita asked.

"The stream?"

She nodded again. "Yes. Where does the stream go?"

"Don't know. Who cares?" He held empty hands up.

"Wherever it goes, it can affect the environment." Her eyes narrowed. "I expect it flows to Chesapeake Bay. Now great for the fish."

"Oh." He didn't look like he cared.

"And the trash?" She stared at him.

"We dump it. Plenty of land out there." He grimaced. "Can't use the land where that house is going up anymore, though."

Anita left him and took an unescorted jaunt around the plant. She saw where the sewage was drained into the river, and then followed the river for about a mile. It looked like it ran to the bay. She pulled out her phone, called her boss. "You're not going to like this. Looks like we have to bring in the EPA."

"What?" The blast of his voice sounded not just surprised but annoyed. He never like to share a case with anyone. Sometimes he had to work with the local cops, but that was it.

"Besides everything else, the company's dumping wastes into a stream that feeds Chesapeake Bay."

"You're sure?" he asked.

"I'll send you a picture of the drainage pipe and the stream."

She could imagine him, eyes closed for a few minutes before replying.

"Okay, send those pictures. I want you, Gottleib and Garcia in the office tomorrow with all you've got. Meanwhile, I'll alert a friend at EPA. No use making a big thing of this."

* * *

Wilson was settling in at the hospital. The atmosphere was much better than at PPTH. He had a handful of patients, including Nora. And each day more were sent to him. The other oncologists seemed happy to have him there. And yet something was missing.

Lunchtime he expected a tall, lanky man to barge into his office demanding they go to the cafeteria, but the figure never appeared. Instead, he usually had lunch alone at his desk.

His phone rang at eleven thirty that day. It was House.

"Miss me?"

He certainly couldn't admit it. And then he thought, was House calling because he missed Wilson? He smiled and countered, "No, too busy, but do you miss me?"

There was a long pause, as if House was speechless. Nah, never happen. "Hardy har har!"

"House, what do you want?" His annoyance was on the tip of his tongue.

"I'm in the hospital cafeteria, but you're not. Someone has to pay for my burger and fries."

Wilson groaned. "Find someone else."

"You do remember you're talking to your landlord, don't you?"

Wilson sighed, loud and long. "I'll be there in ten minutes. I hope you can wait." He forced himself to take his time. Maybe he was still under House's control, although in a different way, but he didn't have to cooperate completely.

When he finally arrived at the cafeteria, though, he found House on his cellphone. So he got in line to get them both food. It could have been a ploy to get Wilson to pay for lunch, but from the animated way House was talking on the phone, he didn't think so.

By the time Wilson returned to the table with a loaded tray, House's call was over. House grinned when he saw him.

"What was that all about?" Wilson asked.

"Eat first." House stuffed his mouth with burger and munched a fry before swallowing.

"You must be hungry." Wilson took smaller bites. "But you have to pay for lunch by sharing with me."

"Hmmm."

Wilson shook his head. Once House set his mind on something, no one could change it.

But it wasn't long before House finished. Wilson set aside his plate and waited for his friend to tell him what the call was about. But he was taking his own sweet time.

"At least tell me who that was," Wilson said.

"Anderson. They questioned the guys who tried to damage the house."

"And?" Wilson narrowed his eyes.

"And they worked at the factory in the mail room." House was dribbling out what he'd learned.

"And?" Wilson's eyes couldn't get any narrower.

"You want more?"

"Sure. House, you can't tell me that much and withhold what they said. Who sent them? Was Owen Marshall involved?"

House shook his head. "It's all on Harris."

"Who's that?" Now Wilson was confused.

"According to Marshall, he runs the manufacturing plant," House said. "Anita had suspected him before, and now the amount of proof against him is incontrovertible."

"So this will be the end of it?"

House shook his head. "First they have to arrest him and our old friend Finnegan, then either the agency or the local cops have to convict them."

Wilson tapped his fingers on the table. "And here I thought this was a perfect, safe, and uneventful place to live."

"But without the strange things that happen in Shelby, it would be a mighty dull place to live."


	14. Chapter 14

Been working on my kids' book, but finally I've finished this next chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 14.

That evening, Hadley and Heather Jacobs drove to the hardware store to meet Anita and pick out fixtures and paint for the reconstruction of the third floor of House's building. The men on the team had begged off at the last minute.

Anita was late in arriving, but wouldn't explain where she was. Since she was grinning, Hadley didn't care.

The women were faced with such a wide selection of everything that it was hard to decide. "How about this one?" Hadley pointed to a faucet set for the bathroom and matching towel bars and toilet paper holder.

Anita shook her head. "Too modern. As much as I like contemporary, it's such an elegant house and requires elegant fixtures." Anita pointed to others that were more appropriate.

"Ooh! I like this one." Jacobs ran a finger over the knobs of one of the ones Anita considered.

Hadley tilted her head and squinted to look at them and the matching items. "Maybe."

Once they'd finally decided on fixtures, they turned to paint colors. That's where the arguments really got started.

"Blue's and green's are cold colors," Anita said. "I say we use only warm colors, yellows and browns."

"But I like cool colors in bathrooms and warm colors in the bedroom," Hadley insisted.

Ignoring her, Anita picked only golden browns and pinks.

Hadley looked like she was about to stamp a foot. "Pink? We are not going to paint any of our rooms pink!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's...it's too...too girly."

Anita crossed her arms and turned her back. "Then you pick the paint."

Hadley turned her back. "Oh, don't be like that."

Jacobs hadn't said anything before, but listening to Hadley and Anita squabble, she stepped in, "What about off-white?"

Together they turned on her. "Never," Anita said.

"That's so dull! I'd sooner have pink." Hadley grimaced.

"Yeah!" Anita showed a strip of paint colors to Hadley. "How about this mauve? It's not so girly as the bright pink."

"Maybe."

The rest of the gang was assembled as usual at the diner. The special was cannelloni with meat sauce, one of House's favorites, and probably everyone else's too.

They were all in a good mood, for once, although Cameron said, "I just want to eat dinner, go home and crash."

"Are you still getting new flu patients?" Simpson asked.

"Unfortunately yes. One was a baby, so congested and I'd guess feeling aches she didn't understand. Even worse, her mother was sick too."

"Wish there was a way we could help, but we have a new patient, too, and we have to concentrate on diagnosing him," Magnani said, and Simpson nodded.

Cameron smirked. "Oh, I'll manage, but I can't wait until this slows down."

"I may have some time to help," Jessica said. "But that will depend on how our patients are doing."

"Don't look at me," House said. "I have to help Will with the renovations."

"Since when are you doing that?" Wilson asked.

"It's okay, Wilson. I don't expect him to help." But she thought back to when House first arrived in Shelby and did just that. She never would have made it through all the patients they had then. The rising number of flu cases was nothing in comparison.

"Well, if you insist." He said it with his most put-upon face and voice.

She laughed.

Soon after their cannelloni arrived, the three missing women showed up.

"So?" Jess asked.

"It took a lot of arguing and debating and finally we came up with what we want for our apartment." Hadley looked at Anita. "The biggest point of contention was the paint."

"But we're even in agreement on that." Anita smiled. "Now we just have to tell Will."

"Heather was a big help."

Pink tinged Jacobs' cheeks. "I pointed out that they'd likely live with their other decisions for a long time, but paint is easily changed if you decide you didn't like it."

"More important than paint, where are we with the investigation?" House asked.

"We aren't anywhere." Anita pointed to him and then herself. "I was late at the hardware store because my boss called a meeting in his office."

"In D. C.?" Simpson asked.

"Yeah. He's upset that the EPA is now involved," Anita said.

"What?" Wilson asked.

"You heard me. The factory is dumping toxic chemicals into a stream that leads to the bay."

Cameron startled. "That's why fishing's been so bad lately."

"Maybe. Anyway, my boss ranted at us all about it, so I quit."

"What?" Hadley sat up straighter.

"Well, I was going to do it anyway when the case was over, but now with not only Gottleib and Garcia, but the EPA involved, they won't need me."

"But if you were the one to prove the company was harming the environment, I'd think they needed you more than ever," Jess said.

"Yeah, that's what my boss said. I told him they knew where to find me to testify, and verify the transfer of samples to the lab. I had an apartment to reconstruct."

House grinned, but everyone else had expressions ranging from bewildered to astonished to downright flabbergasted.

"Good for you," Magnani finally said.

Jess nodded. "Yeah, glad I could help, but if they thought you couldn't handle it and had to bring in two other guys, well that's...sexist among other things."

"Hey, I wouldn't go that far." Simpson frowned.

"That's cause you're a man." Jacobs smirked then looked at Anita. "Don't you have to give two weeks notice or something?"

"I've got enough accumulated vacation to cover it." Anita chuckled and rubbed her palms together. "I can't wait to demolish a wall or two and build some new ones."

House suddenly frowned. "Guess we've lost our connection to the case. You won't be able to keep us up to date on what's happening."

Anita shrugged. "It'll be all out in the open soon, so you can read about it in the newspaper or online."

"That's true."

"And maybe your new best pal Marshall will come to cry on your shoulder," she scoffed.

"He might at that. Said it himself, he was an idiot, even if he wasn't guilty." House spotted Pete. "You might want to talk to him as a potential witness to what's happening to fishing on the bay due to the company spilling wastes."

"I'll let G & G do it." She leaned back. "I've done my part."

"And no one appreciated it."

"No, they didn't. But that's not why I'm quitting." She sat forward again and leaned her elbows on the table. "I'm tired of traveling, of never having a home. I've been with the bureau for almost ten years. Enough is enough."

Hadley smiled at her. "I'm glad, but what about the job with Chief Anderson."

"You're going to work for Anderson?" Simpson asked.

"When did this happen?" Magnani dropped his fork.

Anita held up her hands and laughed. "We haven't decided about this yet. I'll talk to him tomorrow, let him know I quit my day job."

"I think it's great. You'll be able to stay here."

"Yeah, great," House echoed but didn't sound like he was as enthused.

Cameron play-slapped him. "Anita, you've been a welcome addition here in Shelby. And I know someone will quickly realize what an ideal tenant you'll be."

"Thanks." Anita smiled her way. "You've all made me feel so welcome."

"I'm..." Hadley swallowed. "I'm glad you can stay."

Everyone else agreed.

As they rode home, Cameron studied House's profile. "What's your problem with Anita sticking around?"

"I have nothing against her, but I wonder how long she and Hadley will stay together."

Cameron's eyes narrowed as she considered that. "You think there may be trouble in their paradise?"

"I've heard of couples breaking up when they have to work on a project together." The side of the face quirked into a grimace. "Given Hadley's relationship history, I only give them 50-50 odds."

"Are you willing to put any cash up for that bet?"

He laughed. "Okay, maybe they can make it through this."

"They seem well-suited."

He glanced at her and smiled. "You'd say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're a romantic at heart. Nothing wrong with that, but it can skew your view of other peoples' relationships."

"Guess it's best to stay out of it, let them work it out." Her phone beeped. She checked it and the time. What did Anderson want at seven thirty in the evening? "Hello, Chief. How can I help you?"

"I thought you and Doc House would be happy to know the two men we caught are singing, about each other and about the person who ordered the attacks on your house."

"Harris?" she guessed.

Anderson chuckled. "Got it in one. They say he told 'em to do whatever it would take to keep the construction from finishing."

"Not a surprise," House said.

"They both thought Harris was afraid the house was too near the plant and the owners might see something they were doing wrong."

"Did they know what that was?"

"Nah. They were just hired thugs. Mind you, they had jobs at the plant, menial ones, but they're not the sharpest tools. Don't even know what the plant produces."

Cameron scratched the back of her head. "Wonder why Harris wasn't afraid the construction workers would notice any wrongdoing."

"Yeah. Something else they never questioned. And probably Harris had never considered." Anderson was tapping something, either computer keys or his desk. Sounded more like typing. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm listening to what you're saying and keeping a list of questions for Harris."

"Happy to provide those. Another thing I've wondered was why they attacked the guards and your men. Were they the ones who did that too?"

"Yeah, they even admitted to it. We have enough now to go after Harris, but I don't want to step on the FBI's toes, especially that Anita Morrow. She's definitely one of the good ones."

"Don't know if we're at liberty to tell you, but I'd offer her a job today," House said.

"Oh? Why, has she gotten another offer?"

Cameron sneered at House for bringing it up. It was Anita's call whether she should tell Anderson she'd quit the bureau. Time to get the conversation back on another topic. "I understand the EPA is investigating now too. You'll have to stand in line to charge Harris."

"Saves me money if I don't have to, but I sure would like to be in on the take-down."

"The feds may call you for the evidence you collected."

"First thing tomorrow, I'll check in with Anita, and find out where we stand." Anderson didn't say whether he was referring to the job or to the case.

After he ended the call, Cameron turned to House. "You shouldn't have said anything about Anita to Anderson."

He waited until he pulled into the driveway before saying, "I didn't tell him she quit the bureau."

"No, but you implied she was considering another job. It's not true."

"He can make of what I said whatever he wants." He got out and walked toward the house without waiting for her.

"I hope you get your practice up and running fast so you don't have time for any of this nonsense."

He turned back and faced her. "You knew what I was like since you first met me. Accept it. I have, and so has Wilson."

"I wouldn't say he's accepted it, more like he's resigned himself to it. I just forget sometimes and then you remind me what a jerk you can be."

"Oh, now I'm a jerk?"

"Yes. If you've accepted the way you are, you have to admit that."

"Are we breaking up?

"No, of course not. I have to vent my frustration sometimes is all." She put a hand on the doorknob. "Compared to Anita and Remy, we're solid."

"Sure of that, huh?"

"Yup." She grinned suddenly, opened the door, walked in and let it slam in his face.


	15. Chapter 15

My kids' book, So You Want To Be A Dragon, is finally published – available on Amazon.

Chapter 15.

Their lovemaking that night was slow and deliberate, yet very sensuous.

Once he removed her clothing and she his, they showered each other with kisses, temples to toes. Next fingers did the walking all over, but lingered in all the sensitive areas. Tingles started from those spots and spread out to engulf them both in a passion they'd only shared with each other.

House tossed a blanket over the couch, then lay Cameron down on it. Their breathing became jagged and their heartbeats sped up. He teased her nipples with his tongue before slipping his arms around her and then engulfing her with his body.

The next morning as Anita was buttoning her shirt, her phone rang. "Good morning, Chief."

"Morning. I wondered if you could spare me a half hour of your time this morning."

"Sure, but what's this about?" She reached for a pad and pen in case she had to write something down.

"I understand the EPA has joined the FBI on the case. I'd like to know where my department's investigation comes into things. Those two thugs we caught yesterday are ready to testify against Harris."

She wasn't ready to tell him she quit. "I can put you in touch with the folks still working on the case."

"I thought you were the agent in charge." Confusion tinged Anderson's voice.

"With the EPA involved, I'm not sure who is anymore." That skirted the truth. In fact, no one told her who the EPA sent. Just her luck it would be Curt. If so, it was another reason she wanted out.

"Okay. Soon as you find out, tell him to call me."

She smiled. Anderson, like most men, always assumed a man would be in charge.

"Will do." She finished dressing then walked the twenty-five yards to the diner. The gang was all there. She also noticed that Garcia and Gottlieb had made the place their restaurant of choice in Shelby, but frowned when she saw the tall sandy-haired man with them. As if thinking of him made it so, there was Curt Sawyer. She pulled a chair up to the doctor's booth and sat with her back to him.

"Do you know the guy with your FBI friends?" Hadley must have noticed.

"He's with the EPA. One of their investigators."

"And you don't want him to recognize you," House surmised.

She smirked. Leave it to him to deduce the truth. "I'd just rather not talk to him."

Hadley frowned, and her brow lowered over her eyes.

To change the subject, Anita said, "Got a call from the chief this morning."

"The President?" Simpson almost jumped out of his seat.

Anita laughed. "No, of course not. Chief Anderson."

"He offer you a job?" House asked.

She shook her head. "He wanted to know where he stands in the investigation. I said I'd ask the person in charge to call him."

"And that person isn't you," Wilson said.

"Something like that. Didn't tell him I quit, though."

"Why not?"

Anita smirked. "If you were chief of a small town police department would you hire someone who quit their job with the Bureau?"

A chorus of 'yeses' made her laugh. "Yes, well, maybe."

"I'd call him later if I were you, and tell him you'd take him up on his job offer," House said.

"But he never offered a job," she insisted.

"Small detail. Oh, and don't tell him yet that you already quit."

She got a faraway look in her eyes as if she was considering House's suggestion. "When he speaks to Gottleib, Garcia, and Curt, he'll know."

He shrugged. "But you can wait to tell them to call him until later."

"You seem to have thought this through." Hadley grinned.

After breakfast, the team, Hadley and Wilson left for the hospital, Cameron for the clinic and Jess for the veterinary office.

Anita glanced at the three men as she left. She'd decided she'd visit the cop shop rather than call Chief Anderson.

He'd just returned from investigating a robbery at the butcher shop in town. "Miss Morrow, you didn't have to come in to give me the name of whoever is in charge of the case."

"I, um." She hesitated, then geared her courage. "I wanted to know if the job offer was still alive."

"Are you actually considering it?" He motioned her to a chair in his office.

"As I told you, I'm staying in town and needed another option to the FBI." She sat.

He studied her. "Have you already quit?"

Her eyes went wide. "How did you know?"

"I may look like a small-town cop without sophisticated methods. Didn't Drs. House and Cameron tell you about all the shenanigans we've gotten into together?"

"No they haven't."

He chuckled. "So, when can you start?"

"I've thought about it. If I can have part of the day off until we fix up our apartment."

"You're moving into part of the building Will's converting for Doctor House, right?"

Anita laughed. "Word gets around fast in this town."

"I think we can put you on half-day shifts, especially if you're willing to work seven days a week."

"I hadn't considered that, but sure, I'll do it." Anita smiled and held out a hand to shake on it.

Anderson looked at the hand for a full minute before taking it. "You'll have to sign an employment agreement. I'll have my secretary print one out for you. But you don't have to do that today."

"Thanks."

"So, what can you tell me about the FBI guys working the case?"

"They're both pretty good. Gottlieb seems to have better instincts, but Garcia's getting better."

"And the EPA person?"

What could she say about him? "I only worked with Curt a couple of times. He's professional."

"That's all you can say?" He sounded either surprised or dubious.

"They've adopted the diner for meals."

"Like you all did."

"Yes."

Cameron struggled to keep up with all the clinic patients that morning, so she was thrilled when House kept his word and joined her at eleven. They put up a makeshift screen to create two exam rooms, then were able to call two patients at a time.

Lunchtime came and there were two more patients left.

Cameron looked at House. "You go on to eat. I'll handle this and join you in half an hour."

He raised an eyebrow.

"You know you want to." She smiled.

"If you say so. You know I do whatever you say."

She laughed and swatted at his arm. "Go on then."

Luckily no other patients arrived after House left. But the two who were there, an older woman with shingles and a middle-aged man with the flu, took longer than she expected. By the time they were gone, House was back.

"Brought you the special chef's salad with extra turkey and Italian dressing on the side."

Cameron collapsed into the nearest chair. "If I wasn't so tired, I'd kiss you."

Instead as he handed her the salad, he bent over to kiss her. "I shouldn't have left."

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "House? Is that you in there? Oh, wait, you want something."

"Can't I be nice without wanting something in return?"

She smirked but was soon too busy eating her greens to care why he was being nicer than House normally was. The turkey and ham were salty enough to add more flavor to the salad than the dressing. Tiny tomatoes and slices of hard-boiled egg provided changes in texture.

She waited until she'd finished eating before asking, "Did you eat alone?"

"No, my other girlfriend flew in from New York just for one of Mo's burgers and fries."

She laughed, then glanced at the clock. "Time to get back to work."

"Where's Naomi?"

"She has lunch with her daughter Hannah on Wednesdays and then they come to the clinic together."

"So you'll have Hannah to help you. You won't want me."

"I always want you." She chuckled.

Between his newer patients, Wilson found time to visit Nora Meisner. They'd developed a friendship that had nothing to do with their doctor-patient relationship.

"Have you moved into your new place yet?" she asked.

"My furniture will arrive next Monday, so we'll move in then. We'll also receive Jessica's things during the week."

"But didn't you say the building needed work?" She sat up a little straighter in her hospital bed.

"The construction will start next week too."

"And Dr. House will have an office on the ground floor?" she asked.

"Yes. Friends of ours will convert the rooms on the top floor into another apartment. It should be a great place to live."

"I may be selfish, but I'm glad you decided to work here and stay in Shelby. This way you can follow my treatments."

"We're setting up a schedule for you, but you're doing well enough now to go home."

"My husband insists we get help at the house. To tell you the truth, I'm glad I won't have to do the cleaning and cooking for a while." She laughed, and he joined in.

"You've been a model patient."

"Sandford wouldn't have it any other way." She grinned.

The veterinary clinic wasn't far from the building where they'd soon be living, so Jessica walked over on her lunch hour. As imposing as the building was, standing on the sidewalk outside she could see how much work it needed. A coat of paint on the shutters, pointing of the bricks and replacement of a broken window she hadn't noticed before would do wonders. That didn't count all that had to be done inside. But the apartment she and Wilson would live in was move-in ready. She looked up at the second-floor windows and smiled.

Things were going so well, she almost thought too well. She was in a solid relationship, living in the same town as her brother and working with animal patients the way she wanted. Weren't they poised for some kind of disaster?

Bart always told her she looked for trouble, couldn't accept her good fortune.

As she stood there, she was aware of three young men, boys really, approaching the house. The shortest of them carried a baseball bat and the tallest tossed a ball from his gloved right hand to his left and back.

They came closer. Ignoring her they walked up to the house. The short one swung the bat.

"Hey, you. Stop that. That's private property." She rushed toward them.

They looked at her and laughed. "Whaddya gonna go about it?" asked the one with the ball.

First she tried staring them down, but when that didn't work, she stormed up to them. The one with the bat swung at her, but she ducked. The ball came her way. Instinctively, she reached up to catch it. That's when the bat finally connected with her head. She fell, her vision swam with images and she landed on the sidewalk. The boys ran.

A passerby found her and immediately called the police. Anderson accompanied the patrolman who drove over to Hanbury street to investigate.

"Must have tripped and fallen down the stairs."

Anderson shook his head. "Look at that bump on her head. Even if it hit the stairs going down it wouldn't be that large. She was hit. But why?"

An ambulance with paramedics aboard arrived as they examined the scene. "A windows been broken," the patrolman noticed."

"Yes, possibly by the same weapon that hit Dr. Simpson."

"You know her?" the patrolman asked.

"She's a veterinarian, works with Dr. Carter. She's also the girlfriend of Dr. James Wilson and the sister of one of House's people."

The paramedic broke into the list of people Jessica was connected to. "She's unconscious, likely concussion. I haven't found any broken bones. We'll take her to the Methodist Hospital in Snow Hill."

Anderson frowned. "Her boyfriend and brother work at Snow Hill Mercy. Take her to the ER there. I'll notify them that she's on the way." He hated having to make the call, but at least they'd be near so they could see for themselves what condition she was in.

First, he called Wilson. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your friend, Dr. Simpson, was attacked outside your new home."

"Jessica? No," Wilson seemed to have a hard time processing.

"She's on her way to Snow Hill Mercy. Should I let her brother know, or will you?"


	16. Chapter 16

Despite a long weekend away, I finished another chapter.

 **Chapter 16.**

Wilson had been on his way from Nora's room to his office when he got the call about Jessica. He'd never had a reason before to go to the ER, but found it easily enough. It was crowded, though, largely with flu patients. Finally he found someone who could tell him that the ambulance was expected momentarily.

"You look like you've just lost your best friend, and since that's House who's too tough to die, it has to be..." Simpson gulped.

"I've been trying to call you. If you're not here about your sister, why are you here?"

The younger doctor blinked. "My sister? What happened to her?"

Wilson finally conveyed the story Anderson told him. He watched color fade from Simpson's face and thought he probably looked the same way.

The ambulance pulled in as Simpson finally told Wilson he'd come to find the doctor who'd first seen the team's patient, since something didn't agree with the initial findings. "I'll look for him later. Jess takes precedence."

Wilson nodded. "You should probably tell Jacobs and Magnani."

"Yeah," Simpson said, but didn't move. His gaze was fixed on the door of the ambulance.

Wilson didn't blame him. All thoughts about his own patients took flight the minute Anderson told him.

He wanted to know that Jess would be all right, as well as what happened to her.

The ambulance doors opened and a gurney removed. Jess lay very still. He moved toward her but knew enough to let the ER doctors and the paramedics work on her. Still, he detailed in his mind what he would do, what tests he'd run, what possible effects he'd try to rule out.

A concussion might not be too bad, but brain damage would be horrific. It was murder holding back, still he knew it was the way to go. He watched them wheel her through the intake area to a cubicle and approached the intake clerk behind Simpson.

"I'm Dr. Simpson. I work here in the diagnostics department. The patient who was just brought in is my sister. I guess I'm her closest relative."

"Do you know what insurance she has?" the clerk asked.

Bart turned to Wilson. "Do you know? I only know it's through her job at the veterinary clinic." He slapped a hand to his mouth. "I'll have to call Dr. Carter. Let him know."

"I'll take care of it. She has a UHC plan, but I don't know the number." Wilson asked the clerk, "Did they bring in her purse?"

"If they did, it's probably still with her. And you are?"

"I'm Dr. James Wilson. I also work here as an oncologist. Dr. Simpson, Jessica Simpson, the patient is my girlfriend." As he said it, he began to shake. He needed to sit down. When he found a seat in the waiting area, he put his head in his hands. Simpson came over to stand beside him.

"She'll be okay. My sister has a hard head." Simpson tried to convince them both.

"I only hope you're right." Wilson took several deep breaths, but his head still spun. He had to be strong for Jess.

The seat next to him became vacant, and Simpson dropped into it. He took out his phone and started making phone calls, first to his team and then to Dr. Carter's office. "I have to do something," he told Wilson. "How did you find out about this?"

"Chief Anderson called me. One of his men found her. They smashed the door of the building, probably with the same instrument they used on Jess." Saying the words helped him come back to himself.

"Do they know who did it?" Simpson asked.

Wilson shook his head and the spinning started again. "I feel like I was the one hit in the head."

Once Hannah arrived at the clinic to help Cameron, and the arrival of new patients diminished, House returned to the diner for a leisurely cup of coffee. He'd taken one sip when his phone rang. It was Neil Anderson. He thought it would be about Anita.

"Afraid there's been trouble at the house," the chief reported.

"Again?" House's face crumpled. "Thought you caught the culprits."

"No, not your almost finished one. The one where you'll be setting up your office," Anderson said. "Someone tried to break in, from the looks of it, and poor Dr. Simpson was hit over the head."

"Bart?"

"No, the other one. Jessica. The ambulance took her to Snow Hill Mercy. We've notified Dr. Wilson and her brother, and boarded up the broken window in the door of the house. You might want to look at it, although I expect you'll be more concerned about the veterinarian."

"Do you know who did it?" House put down his mug.

"Hard to tell. They broke the window and poor Dr. Simpson got hit, likely with the same weapon," the chief said. "Can't tell what they were after, or even whether this was part of everything else that's going on with the pharmaceutical company. Could just be some boys out for mischief."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"Had to. It's your property. But besides that, well, I wanted you to know about poor Dr. Simpson."

House wondered how badly Jessica was hurt. From the way Anderson kept repeating poor Dr. Simpson, he was afraid it might be bad. He'd have a hard time comforting his friend if another of his girlfriends...no, he couldn't think that way. He noticed that Anderson ended the call, drained his mug and got up to go. But where? If it were Cameron, she'd go directly to the hospital. Cameron. He'd have to tell her. And call Will to add another repair to the list, if the police would even let him repair the scene of the crime. He should have asked Anderson. Well, time for that.

First, he called Cameron and told her the bad news.

"How's Jess?" Her reaction was typical for her.

"Don't know yet. I'm heading to the hospital. I'll let you know as soon as I get there."

"If I wasn't swamped, I'd go with you. Give her my best." As an afterthought, she added, "I'll be there as quickly as I can. Tell Wilson she'll be fine."

"Even if that's not true?" House asked.

"You should support him in any way you can."

House gave Cameron's last words some thought before leaving for the hospital. Once he arrived, though, it took some time to locate Wilson. He found his BFF in radiology, pacing the tiny waiting room.

Wilson barely acknowledged him, so he asked, "She in x-ray?"

"They're doing scans. House, she hasn't woken up." Wilson was shaking.

House's mind went back to Wilson's vigil for Cutthroat Bitch. Amber. "She will."

Wilson shook his head. "I can't lose her."

"You won't." House wondered how he could support Wilson. He'd never really done it before. "Jess has too hard a head," he said, echoing Bart.

Simpson entered with two cups of coffee. "If I knew you were here, I'd have gotten more." Bart gave Wilson one and offered House the other, but House shook his head. House hadn't thought how all this would affect the younger man.

The three of them watched an orderly wheel Jessica's gurney out of the scanning room. They followed to the elevator and then a room on the third floor of the hospital. Since they were staff, they didn't hesitate to enter. In fact, Simpson helped the orderly transfer Jessica to the bed. Wilson immediately pulled a chair over and sat, taking Jessica's limp hand. The orderly hooked her up to the monitors and inserted a port to administer saline and drugs.

Granger, the head of the Neurology Department, came in. They'd had run ins with him over Nora Meisner's diagnosis and treatment, but he was good.

"We'll know more when we get the scans back," Granger said. "The x-rays didn't show anything. Most likely it's a simple concussion and, with enough time, she'll wake up." Without waiting for a reply, he walked off.

House and Wilson exchanged frowns. Wilson squeezed Jessica's hand. Simpson took her other one.

"Guess turnabout's fair play," House said.

"What do you mean?" Wilson asked.

"How many hours do you think she sat at your side when you were injured during the explosion at PPTH?"

"Oh, that." Wilson shrugged.

"Yes. Oh, that. Cameron says I should support you. Want anything from the cafeteria? No place for me to sit. Might as well get us more coffee or something."

"By 'or something', I guess you mean pie."

"Can't hurt."

Simpson was still drinking the cup he'd gotten earlier, but Wilson had tossed the empty cup before Granger showed up.

House left Wilson and Simpson with Jessica and made for the elevator. At this hour it wouldn't be very crowded. They probably wouldn't have any pie left either, but he'd keep his fingers crossed.

He'd been right about the first thing. Two nurses sat at one table and an orderly at another. Otherwise, there were no customers in the cafeteria. No counter staff either. One lonely piece of apple pie remained next to a cup of peaches. He took both then filled two insulated cups with coffee, fixing one the way he liked it and one for Wilson. He could have walked out with all of that without paying, but decided it was only right to leave a ten dollar bill on the cashier's counter.

Cameron was distracted the rest of the afternoon by thoughts of Jessica. She hoped she could get Anita to drive her to the hospital when she was through with patients. If not, she'd walk home and get the sports car.

"I sure hope Dr. Simpson will be all right," Hannah said at least twice.

"Dr. Wilson and House will make sure she'll get the best care."

"Do they have any idea who did this to her?" the teen asked. "Why was she at the house anyway?"

"They haven't caught the person who hit her yet. We'll know more when she wakes up." Cameron made a note in the file for their last patient. "Bring in the next patient."

Anita called Gottleib from her motel room. Now that she had a firm job offer from Anderson, she could ask the three men working on the case to call the police chief.

"Anita. Heard you quit the bureau." He chuckled. "Are you calling to tell me?"

She grimaced. Word had already spread. "Actually, I'm passing on a request. Chief Anderson apprehended two men intent on vandalizing the house the doctors are having built off Harbor Rd. He had information you'll need for the case and wants to know what part his department will play going forward."

"Why call me?" She heard the shrug in his voice. "Curt's the one in charge."

"But he's not FBI, and you are. So as a former agent of the bureau, I had to let the bureau know through you."

"Okay. That's fine. I can let Curt know."

She sighed. "Thanks. It was great working with you and Garcia, but I need something more stable, a job where I could set down roots in one place."

"It's that doctor, the woman you're moving in with," Gottleib said.

"Yes. She's part of it. But I also like it here. Despite some of the things that are happening..."

"...with the pharma company..."

"...That and other things. Despite them, it's a calmer, more comfortable way to live. Don't you ever get tired of all the travel? Living in motels out of a suitcase? Not knowing where you'll be any day of the week, or any night?"

He chuckled. "I'll admit it's not the best way to live, but, as they say, someone's gotta do it."

She laughed. "Yes, but now it won't be me."

"Your minds made up. Maybe someday I'll make the same change in my life."

"Bet if you found the right girl to settle down with," she teased.

"Like you did. Yeah. Maybe. Or maybe I'm not the settling down type."

"That's what I believed about myself. Could be that I'm getting older."

They both laughed at that since she was a good ten years younger than he was.

"Tell Garcia I said good luck," she said.

"What about Curt?"

"Did you have to bring him up?"

"Okay, I'll play nice and forget I said anything. I do wish you well, Anita."

"Thanks." She closed the connection and sat back, unclenching her fisted hand.


	17. Chapter 17

Off to visit our son and daughter-in-law next week for a week, so I won't be posting until I'm back and have another chapter ready.

 **Chapter 17.**

Cameron had been trying to call Anita every time she had a few minutes to spare, but each time the call went to voice mail. Finally she got through. By then she was so frazzled the words came pouring out. "Jessica was attacked and is at Snow Hill and House is there so I don't have a ride and I thought I'd call you but if you're busy with..."

Anita cut her off. "Of course, I'll drive you. How badly is she hurt? Does anyone know what happened? I guess Wilson and Bart are there with her."

"I'll tell you everything I know on the way to the hospital." Cameron peeked through her partially open door.

"Well, I'm in my room, so I can be there in two minutes."

Cameron sighed. "Take your time. I have one more patient. Make it ten minutes."

"You got it. See you soon." Cameron put away her phone and called the next patient. Luckily, it was a well visit for a three-month-old and a shot.

By the time Anita arrived, Cameron was ready to go. She got into the passenger seat, and Anita stepped on the gas.

"Have you heard anymore from House?" Anita asked.

"No."

"So what happened?"

"All I know is that she was attacked in front of the Hanbury Street house. Hit in the head. She's unconscious."

"What was she doing there?" Anita asked.

Cameron shrugged. "Guess we'll have to ask her when she wakes up.

Wilson and Simpson paced different parts of Jessica's room.

"Will you two stop it already?" House held his cane out in front of Wilson. "That's not going to get the results of the scans any faster."

Wilson stopped. "Do you suppose Granger will delay telling us the results unnecessarily out of spite?"

House shook his head. "Whatever you think of him, he's a professional. No, he'll let us know as soon as he can. Technically, the only one he can tell besides Jess herself is Simpson, since he's her closest relative."

Wilson sighed. "Once she's better we're going to have to do something about that."

"You're going to make her the fourth Mrs. James Wilson?" House asked.

"No, we'll get medical power of attorneys for each other. You and Cameron should do the same."

"Who says we haven't?" House walked to the window and looked out. "Did you ever wonder what fate brought us to this place and time?"

Simpson chuckled. "I thought you didn't believe in that sort of thing."

"Yeah, me too," said Wilson.

"It's just not the sort of place I would have imagined landing while we were at PPTH." House pointed out the window. "Although this view isn't all that different from the balconies off our offices back there."

Wilson cringed. "You sound like you miss it."

"PPTH? Not the slightest. No, here we can have the view without the drama."

Simpson approached his former boss. "House, my sister's lying comatose in a bed not ten feet from where you're standing. That's drama enough for me."

"That's not what I mean. You weren't there, Simpson. The atmosphere was toxic. Wilson and I survived because we had each other to lean on."

Cameron walked in with Anita as House finished speaking. She nodded. "I sure couldn't take it there."

"How is she?" Anita aimed her chin at the bed.

"They did a brain scan. Granger should have the results soon."

Cameron joined House at the window. "All we can do is wait, I guess."

Hadley and the rest of the team took a break from their patient and immediately found Jessica's room.

"It's getting a tad crowded in here," House said.

Granger entered and ordered everyone out but Simpson. "I'm sure Dr. Jessica Simpson's brother will share the news with all of you, but the only one I can give the results of the scan to is the male Dr. Simpson."

They congregated in the hall waiting for that to happen. Wilson resumed his pacing, walking the long distance to the nurses' station in one direction and the elevators in the other.

Granger finally came out and told them they could reenter. Simpson still stood where he was before, near enough to the bed to hold his sister's hand. He didn't look very upset, but he wasn't smiling either.

"I'm sure Jess would want me to tell you. There's no apparent brain damage or internal bleed."

Wilson sighed and sagged back into his chair. "So why hasn't she woken yet?"

"You're a doctor. You should know it'll take time for her to come fully out of it, but I bet she can hear you," Hadley said. "Us. Talking about her as if she isn't here." She smirked.

Cameron put a hand on Wilson's shoulder. "Took you long enough to open your eyes when you were hurt."

"But I needed surgery." He looked down at the ground. When he looked up again, he said, "And I had memory loss."

"But you got it back, and as you said, your injury was much more severe. Let her rest."

"The police will want to talk to her when she wakes up," House said. "I hope she can identify whoever did this." He sauntered to the bed and pulled up one of Jessica's eyelids, shone his penlight in her eye, and let the lid drop. "I'm ready to bet she'll be up and running in another hour."

No one was willing to take that bet.

"Bart, Dr. Wilson, do you want us to leave you with her?" Jacobs asked.

Simpson shook his head. "Thanks, Heather, but it feels right to have everyone here."

So they stood around, staring at Jessica and willing her to wake.

When her eyes flickered at about six o'clock, everyone startled, but her eyes remained closed.

"Who's coming with me to the cafeteria?" House asked.

Cameron hesitated at first, but said, "I will. What does everyone want?" She jotted down their requests, then linked her arm with House's. "C'mon. Before the hordes get to it all."

The cafeteria was crowded, but since they didn't need a table, they got in line and filled two trays with food.

"I paid for Wilson's coffee before," House said proudly. "And a piece of pie."

"I suppose that means you want me to pay for all of this."

"I'm sure they'll reimburse you."

She bit back her laughter and handed the cashier her credit card. "For all of both trays."

The cashier raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything. House and Cameron walked to the elevator carrying the trays of food and got on. Once they reached the room, everyone grabbed their share and started eating. Jess hadn't changed, hadn't opened her eyes.

An hour later, her eyelids flickered again. This time they opened and stayed open and her eyes squinted to focus. "Jimmy?"

"I'm here, and so are all your friends."

"And me," Simpson said.

"Wha...what happened?"

"We wanted to ask you that. What were you doing at the house?" House asked.

"House, give her some time to fully wake up." Wilson squeezed her hand.

"The sooner we know what happened, the sooner we'll be able to send Anderson and his crew after the culprits."

Jessica tried to sit up, so her brother raised the part of the bed behind her back. "The last I remember, I'd walked over to the house from the vet clinic just to look at it." She took a couple of deep breaths. "I remember thinking how great it looked. Then." She shook her head. "There was something else."

Wilson handed her a cup of water. "Here, drink this. You're probably dehydrated despite the drip."

She looked to the side and then at her arm. "Saline?"

"Yes."

"I'm hungry."

Jacobs looked at the empty trays. "We all just ate, but I can go get you something. Probably something light would be best."

"Heather, don't bother." Simpson placed his almost empty bag of chips on the over-bed tray and slid it closer to Jessica. "My sister's favorite comfort food." He smiled.

"Thanks, Bart. That's perfect." Jessica ate the remainder quickly, then reached for her cup of water. "What happens now?"

"They took x-rays and a scan of your head," Wilson said. "You probably have a lump, but the tests didn't show anything."

Jessica reached behind her head and rooted around until she winced. "Ouch. Was I hit?"

"You tell us. Someone broke the glass in the front door of the office," House said.

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I remember the tinkling of glass falling, but I still can't picture who was there or what happened."

Wilson put a hand on her arm. "Give it time. Remember how long it took me to get my memories back."

"But you had a severe injury that required surgery. I was just hit on the head. I guess."

Simpson smiled. "I'm just glad you're awake. You had us worried for a while."

"How long was I out?" Jess looked from one to the other, all seven of them. "And why are you all here?" She smirked at House. "Don't tell me everyone was worried about me, even you."

He worked his mouth like he had marbles in it.

"Right. Well, I'm awake now, so you can all go home. What time is it anyway?"

A few of them looked at watches or phones, and Jacobs said, "Seven-thirty. You were out approximately six hours."

"Wow. Looks like you all ate here. How could Mo's Diner do without you?" She laughed.

Wilson grinned. "She's definitely back."

"What did I say?"

"You joked about the diner, Sis. You may not remember what happened, but your brain is still working."

"Anderson will want to talk to you when you remember more, but for now, you should get some rest." Wilson rubbed her arm and kissed her cheek.

"You can do better than that." She reached up and grabbed his shirt to bring him closer so she could kiss him. "Okay, now I can go to sleep. Thanks, everyone. You're the best."

They filed out of the room, the women blowing air kisses. Last out were Simpson and Wilson.

"I feel like the lump in my throat might dissolve," Simpson said.

Jacobs patted his shoulder. "I told you she'd be fine."

"Let's head on back to Shelby," Magnani suggested.

"I think I'll stay." Simpson held back as they made their way to the garage. "Maybe crash here for the night."

Jacobs pressed her lips together and nodded.

"Cameron, I don't suppose you'll need a ride back," Anita said.

"No, but thanks again for driving me here." Cameron smiled.

They found their cars, got in and drove home.

In the morning, they met as usual at the diner for breakfast. Neither Simpson nor Wilson were there though even House was bright and early for a change.

"I want to see what Anderson found out about the attack on Jessica, and I also have to make arrangements to repair the door. Will left me a voicemail message that he can't get to it today but suggested a glazier."

Cameron stopped her cup midway to her mouth. "Can one of you call me to update me on Jessica's condition?"

"Sure, I will," Jacobs said.

"Call me, too." Anita made some notes in the notebook she always carried with her. "House, I'll go with you to see Anderson. I'm not officially on his payroll, but I want to help with this investigation."

Hadley swallowed her bite of French toast. "He'll be glad for your help."

"Maybe."

Cameron shook her head. "Based on our own experiences with the chief, he'll take any help he can get." She plopped the last forkful of her omelet in her mouth.

Linda came by to fill up their coffee mugs. "Where's the rest of the gang?"

"Didn't you hear?" Hadley asked. "Jessica was knocked unconscious yesterday. She's in the hospital in Snow Hill, and Bart and Wilson spent the night with her."

Linda slammed a hand to her mouth and put the coffeepot down. "I hope she'll be all right. Such a nice lady."

"She came to while we were all there last night. Has a bump on her head, but otherwise, she'll be okay," Magnani said. "They just kept her for observation."

"Was it a mugging? What is Shelby coming to!" Linda shook her head and picked up the coffeepot.

Magnani said,"No. We think just vandals at House's new office."

"Still." And with that she went on to another customer.

Cameron put down her fork and drained her cup. "Well, I'm off. See you all later."

"Did you want me to drive you to the hospital later?" Anita asked.

"That'll depend on how well Jess is doing. I'll text you." She left for the clinic with a wave to everyone.

"We'd better get moving too." Hadley slid out of the booth. "We do have a patient to see to."

Jacobs and Magnani followed her out.

House watched them all go. "Guess it's our turn. We can beard Anderson in his den."

"He's no bear, more like a faithful dog."

"Yes, but I wonder how happy he'll be to see us."

"Why shouldn't he be?" Anita asked House's back as she rushed out after him.


	18. Chapter 18

We're home from our trip and I'm back to writing. By the way, the Kindle version of the first book in my Crystal Odyssey series, The Crimson Orb, is on sale this week for $0.99 in case you never read it.  Crimson-Orb-Book-Crystal-Odyssey-ebook/dp/B06XBC38LW

 **Chapter 18.**

House and Anita found Anderson at his desk.

"Just the folks I was about to look for," the police chief said with a grin.

Anita turned to House. "See." She would have stuck out her tongue but decided that was childish.

"Anita, I've got your employment forms. Fill them out and turn them into Officer Thomas. He'll file them, and then you can join one of the current investigation teams."

House smirked at her. "Not what you expected."

"No, but that's okay." She took the forms and left to fill them out.

"I guess you're here about the damage to your new place," Anderson said.

House nodded. "Will said he can't get to it until next week, so I plan to call a John Wells, glazier later this morning, but I wanted to confirm it was no longer a crime scene."

"Oh, it's a crime scene all right. Still, I don't suppose it'll matter if you have the damage repaired. We have our photos and other evidence from the scene. So, go ahead." Anderson pursed his lips. "What's Dr. Simpson's condition this morning? We do have questions for her when she's able to answer them."

"She woke up last night. Someone must have let you know that, didn't they?" When Anderson nodded, House went on. "Unfortunately, she doesn't recollect what happened. In time, she will, since there's no brain damage."

"Glad to hear she'll be okay. We'll talk to her when we can."

House checked his watch. "I'm meeting the glass guy at ten-thirty. Talk to you later."

Anderson walked him to the exit. "I'd like your opinion of the damage."

* * *

Cameron's day at the clinic was as busy as the day before. She didn't have House's help or Hannah's. One after another patients, mostly with the flu, came through her door. As fast as she could, she determined whether or not to prescribe theraflu. Some she told to just go home, eat chicken soup and drink tea, lots of fluids, and get some sleep. Sure, one non-flu patient had a broken ankle, another a strained shoulder, and a third a deep cut that wouldn't stop bleeding. She treated them all.

At eleven, a new patient was carried into the waiting room. When Cameron saw the baby, all her cares melted away along with her exhaustion.

"I'll wait my turn," Carol said.

"Some of these folks are infectious. Bring the baby into the office while you wait."

Carol was happy to comply, seeing the number of people waiting to see Cameron, some obviously suffering from flu. She took Bryan into the tiny office, and made herself as comfortable as possible while they waited for Cameron.

Cameron worked even faster through the patients, eager to get to baby Bryan. To examine him and give him his first shots. She didn't neglect anyone, gave each person the care they deserved. None of them felt she was rushing them They'd gotten a glimpse of the baby and understood.

Finally it was Bryan's turn. Carol brought him into the examination room and unwrapped his blankets as she lay him on the table. His little arms and legs waved in the air and then he put his right fist in his mouth. Carol and Cameron laughed.

Cameron examined the little one. "He seems to be developing very well. It's such a pleasure to have a baby here for a well visit." Cameron got the needle and syringe ready. "They're making smaller and smaller needles. He shouldn't feel this at all. It's for hepatitis B. Next month I'll give him a few more."

"I'd take him to a pediatrician in Snow Hill, but I trust you to take care of both of us." Carol lifted the baby, who was whimpering. She comforted him, and he calmed down, then fell asleep.

"Return in a month for the next round, but I hope we'll see both of you before that." Cameron saw Carol and Bryan out, and called the next patient waiting for her.

As she finished with her patients, her phone rang.

It was Jacobs. "Sorry I didn't call sooner. Jess is fine. She can go home tomorrow." Happiness and excitement filled her voice.

"That's great news. Can I bring her anything? I'll call Anita to come get me and we can stop somewhere if there's anything she needs."

"She just wants me to bring her something to wear home," Jacobs said.

"Does she remember any more about the attack?" Cameron asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Dr. Granger said her memory of the event will come back but couldn't give us a timetable."

"Well, tell her I said hello and we should be there soon."

When that call was over, she called Anita. "Did you hear? Jessica can come home tomorrow."

"Yes, Remy just called me. Do you want to go to the hospital later?"

Cameron smiled. "Yes. I'd like to bring her something. How about flowers?"

"Sure. We can stop at the florist in the hospital."

* * *

House walked from police headquarters to Hanbury Street. He wanted to see the damage for himself before the glazier showed up to repair it.

Whatever had smashed that glass was likely the same implement to hit Jessica. He shook his head at his lingering fear that Wilson's girlfriend could have been killed.

Looked like some wood damage too. Who could have done this, and why? Vandalism was rare in this beautiful neighborhood. Would he have to take precautions that he hadn't envisioned to keep the property safe, both before and after the renovations? Did he need a rent-a-cop to guard it?

A shiver gripped his spine, and he sat down on one of the steps, spreading out his long legs.

Almost time for the glass guy to show up. The police had done their investigation of the site and swept up the glass and wood fragments. Maybe he should opt for a steel door instead of this lovely wooden one with glass panes. He wouldn't make that decision until after he talked to the glazier and perhaps Will.

A panel truck drove up, the name LaSalle windows and doors stenciled on the side. A short, stocky man with dark hair climbed out. He extended his hand. "Ken LaSalle, and you must be Dr. House."

House shook the proffered hand. "Yes. Had a little incident here yesterday. Don't know whether it was vandals or someone trying to get in, but there's damage to the door. Lots of broken glass."

"Well, let's take a look." LaSalle walked up the steps to the door. He had to remove the planks the police had placed over the opening to secure it. "Beautiful old door. Wouldn't want to replace it, although today we tend to recommend steel reinforced manufactured wood doors. Look like the real thing, but much stronger. Resistant to whatever did this."

"Whoever did this also hit a friend in the head." House wondered why he felt he wanted to share that.

LaSalle picked at the splinters around the door. "Hope the guy's okay. Looks like a hammer or mallet."

"It was a woman. She's recovering at a hospital in Snow Hill."

"You plan to use the office space here?" LaSalle looked around as he got out a measuring gadget. "This uses light to measure the distance."

"You'll be able to repair the door?" House asked. He didn't care about the man's gadgetry, just that he could get the job done.

"Yeah. I'll send you an estimate to repair this or to replace it. Could have guys out here tomorrow to fix it, but a new door might take some time."

House grimaced. "How much time?"

"A week. Two max. You'd have to pick one out at my office."

"Okay. Send me the information and I'll decide later today which I'd prefer."

LaSalle performed a one finger salute. He trotted down the stair and to his car.

House watched him leave, then took out his phone to call Will. "Need some advice."

"Go ahead."

"LaSalle suggested replacing the door, but that will delay things. If your guys are ready to start working next week, will that be a problem?" House asked. "Or I can have the existing door repaired. That he can start tomorrow."

"Modern doors are fine in their place. I've used them in your new house, but for the one on Hanbury, if he can save it, that's the way to go."

"Okay. That's the way I was leaning, but I wanted your opinion."

"We'll be there Monday or Tuesday to start our work," Will said.

"Anita and Hadley will do some of the work on the third floor."

"Yeah, Anita told me they picked out fixtures and materials."

* * *

Wilson looked in on Jessica every chance he could, although he had to tend to his own patients. At two in the afternoon when he checked, she was sitting up, picking at the remnants of her lunch. He smiled.

"What are they feeding you?" he asked.

"Want some?"

He scrunched up his nose. "I've eaten hospital food."

"This isn't bad, but I'll be glad to get back home to Mo's cooking at the diner." She chuckled.

"They're sending you home tomorrow, so it won't be long."

"But I still don't remember what happened."

"Maybe if we take you to the place where it happened, it'll trigger something."

"Maybe." She didn't look convinced. "What does Granger say?" She rubbed the bump on her head.

"He won't tell me anything, only your brother. Which reminds me. We should set up power of attorney rights."

That brought a smile. "I agree."

Simpson came in, carrying a bag of chips. He placed it on his sisters tray Her smile widened as she opened it and took one out.

Between chips, she told her brother, "James thinks I should revisit the scene of the crime, see if it helps me retrieve my memories. What do you think?"

"It's worth a try. But first you have to rest."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm tired of resting. I just want to move around and remember what happened to me."

Simpson glanced at Wilson, then back to his sister. "Sure. I can understand that, but are you sure you're up to going back there?"

"Absolutely. Can't wait to get out of here."

"Heather went home to get you some clothing for you to wear when you go home tomorrow," Simpson said.

"She's a sweetie."

Simpsons seemed to fight a frown but must have won, because he smiled. "She sure is."

"How's your patient?" Wilson asked him.

"We're stumped, but then we get the cases designed to stump doctors. Waiting on a few test results to confirm Magnani's guess of what it is. Or not. Anyway, I'd better get back and see if those results came in yet." He strode toward the door.

"Thanks, Bart." Jessica held up the now-empty chip bag.

Once he was gone, Jess said, "He's still not over her, is he?"

"Over who?"

"Are you blind? Heather of course. She picked Magnani, but Bart still hasn't accepted it."

He smirked. "Women. See romance everywhere, even if there is none."

"Men," she countered. "Never pick up on subtle clues." Then she laughed. "But we love you anyway."

They were silent for a few minutes. Wilson wandered over to the window and looked out, remembering House's remarks the day before. "I'm glad we decided to stay here, despite what happened to you."

"But it turned out to be nothing."

"Except for your memory loss."

"Yeah, there is that. Do you really think that going back to the scene of the crime will jolt my synapses?"

He shrugged. "It's worked for other people. Of course, they're repairing the damage to the door as we speak, so the building might not look the same."

"Then we should go tomorrow, after I leave here."

"You should rest."

"I'll rest better if I remember what happened."


	19. Chapter 19

Everyone set for the next chapter?

 **Chapter 19**.

Anita was now an official member of Anderson's force. She hoped he'd assign her to watching either of House's houses. She smiled at how that sounded even in her brain as she entered the chief's office.

He was sifting through a stack of papers but looked up. "New wanted posters."

"Do they still send those out in print form?"

"Some places aren't computerized. I've got 'em in both print and electronic forms. You get your ID and badge?" he asked.

"Yeah. Ready for an assignment, boss." She didn't exactly salute.

He grinned. "The department have very few open cases."

She grinned back, thinking that meant the chances of getting her preferred ones had just increased.

"Why don't you start with this vandalism case." He handed her a sheet. "Shops on Peters Street have had graffiti spray painted on their windows."

"Oh." She fought a frown and a sigh, but they won.

"We think the perps might be the ones who damaged the door at Dr. House's office and attacked Dr. Simpson, but we need proof to connect the two cases."

Her face brightened and the lump in her heart disappeared. "Yes, I can see that it could have been vandals, but they didn't break any other windows, did they? And they didn't spray graffiti on House's building." She managed to avoid saying house but smiled to herself.

"Yeah, that's why the connection is so uncertain. I just hope there isn't another incident that would tie the cases together." Anderson held out a folder. "This is a copy of all we have on the cases. There were four incidents of vandalism and the one at the Hanbury house."

Anita grinned. "Trying to avoid saying House's house the way I am, I take it."

Anderson laughed.

HHH

Wilson arrived at Jessica's room at 9 A.M., ready to take her home. He'd asked colleagues to cover his patients for the day and three of the four agreed. He'd known from the start he'd have issues with the fourth, a middle-aged oncologist who may have thought he should have been consulted about the hospital administrator's wife.

Shrugging that off for now, a battle to be fought another day, Wilson focused on Jessica. Of course, her doctor had to check her one last time and then there was the paperwork.

Finally, at eleven thirty he wheeled Jess to the patient pick-up point, then went to retrieve his car. Jess stood from the mandatory wheelchair and got in. She'd been grinning all morning, but now her grin broadened even more.

"It'll be so good to be home, or at least at the team's house, instead of a hospital room," she said.

"It'll be good to have you home."

"We're still going to the house first, aren't we?" she asked, hoping he hadn't forgotten or decide against it.

"If that's what you want, that's what we'll do."

When they reached Shelby, he drove to Hanbury Street, stopping in front of the building. Men were carefully placing new glass in the door as they got out.

Jess stood there looking at the house but began shaking and cried, "Oh, no!"

"Jess, are you okay?" Wilson put his arms around her. "Do you remember?"

"Not all of it, only that there were three of them, young, with baseball bats." Even in his embrace she continued to shiver. She put a hand to her head. "I remember how my head felt when one of the bats connected with my skull." She looked up at Wilson. "I'm sorry. That's all I remember."

"Could you identify the young men from photos or work with a sketch artist to come up with a likeness?" He stood back but his hands remained on her shoulders. "I don't want to push you."

"No, no. It's all right. I...I think so. I want to try."

"Let's go to headquarters now and take care of that, and then I'll take you to lunch. Unless you're ready for a nap by then."

"We'll see." Jess kissed his cheek. "Thanks."

HHH

Cameron was with a patient when her phone rang. She let it go to voicemail, thinking she'd listen to it later, but the clinic was busy again. 'Will this flu season ever end?' she wondered.

Finally, as she walked to the diner for lunch, she listened to the message.

 _Dr. Cameron, this is Will. We're about finished with construction. If you_

 _and Dr. House want to come out to see it, I can meet you here at five-thirty._

 _Let me know._

She immediately called House.

"Yes, Will touched base with me too. I told him we'd be there."

"You don't sound as excited as I feel." His lack of enthusiasm couldn't dampen her spirits.

"Guess I am. It's so hard to believe," he said. "Maybe when we see it tonight it'll sink in that we're really doing this." For the first time since she knew him he sounded hopeful yet anxious, with tinges of excitement and guarded all at the same time.

"It's going to be epic," she said to encourage the hopeful and excited feelings.

"We'll see."

"I'm at the diner. Can you meet me here?" she asked. "No one else is around."

"What, unused to eating alone."

She chuckled. "Kinda. I wanted to run something by you and it can't really wait until tonight."

"I'm on my way to Hanbury Street, but I guess I can meet you first. What's Mo's special for lunch today?"

She laughed. "Ah, your stomach is guiding your priorities." She looked up at the board listing the specials. "She's got her steak sandwich. You like that. Actually, I don't think she makes anything you don't like. See you in a few." That would give her time to think through what she had in mind.

Right after she ended the call, Linda arrived with her iced tea and her salad. "Should be movin' into the new place soon."

"Yes, we are. I'm stoked," Cameron said.

"Maybe some day I can come see it." Linda looked hopeful.

"Of course. We're having an open house a week or two after we move in, and you're invited."

"Me?" Linda's eyes widened and her mouth gaped.

Cameron chuckled. "Sure. You're part of our extended Shelby family. House will be here soon, by the way. He wants the steak sandwich."

Linda left to wait on another customer with a grin on her face. Soon House arrived and took his usual seat. "Did you order for me?"

"Linda just put in your order. What have you been up to?"

"I went to talk to Marshall." He settled in his seat.

"You what?" She shook her head as she wondered whether she heard right.

"Had to rule him out, although I didn't think he was behind the attack just as he wasn't involved in anything that happened at his lab and plant."

She nodded. "Did he know anything."

He shook his head. "Not a thing. He did ask how your campaign was going."

"I totally forgot about that. Fine campaign manager you are."

"Once you did your first round of talks to groups in the community, I didn't think there was a need for any more. You're a shoe-in." He leaned forward. "So what did you want to talk to me about in private?"

She smiled as seductive a smile as she could. "Oh, just about how we can bless our house."

He grinned. "I like it! You know we should find a way to put our stamp on each and every room."

Cameron nodded. "A man after my own heart."

"And every other part of you, I hope."

"Of course."

Their banter stopped when Linda appeared with House's sandwich, complete with fries and a Coke. "Did you two want anything else?" she asked.

They both said, "No." Once she was gone, House said, "Go on. I'm listening." He took a big bite of his sandwich and chewed.

"We might need a few things. Whipped cream and bubble bath come to mind."

He swallowed and grinned. "For a start. Okay. You get those and I'll get a few other items." The enthusiasm that she thought was lacking earlier when she spoke to him on the phone was finally apparent.

"Deal. Can't wait." She grinned and shivered with anticipation.

But any further planning was interrupted when Wilson and Jessica arrived.

"Jess, how are you?" Cameron reached out to take Jessica's hand.

"Not bad at all." Jess smiled.

"We went by the house and she remembered a little more," Wilson said.

House rolled his eyes. "And? You can't just stop there."

"There were three of them with baseball bats. Young," Jess said.

"Teens?" Cameron guessed.

She shrugged. "Maybe. We went to police headquarters but I didn't recognize anyone they had in their picture line-up. Anderson wants me to return later when his sketch artist is there. I'm not sure that'll work, but it's worth a shot."

"So common vandals?"

"Maybe," Jess repeated.

Cameron shook her head. "Baseball bats can do a lot of damage."

Anita came through the door. "I only have about ten minutes, but I hoped I'd find you here."

"Working for Anderson yet?" House asked.

She nodded. "He has me investigating vandalism at stores near the town square."

"We were just talking about vandals." Cameron tilted her head toward Jessica. "Jess thinks the men who attacked her were young."

Jess nodded. "They carried baseball bats."

"Most of the other incidents concerned graffiti painted on windows and brick walls in front of the shops." Anita waved Linda over and ordered a sandwich and iced tea to go. "Guess they graduated to more destructive damage."

Jess crossed her arms. "I'll return to headquarters after lunch to work with the sketch artist."

"You remember enough for that?" Anita asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to try."

Linda brought Anita's bagged lunch and the agent turned cop stood. "Maybe I'll see you at headquarters," she told Jessica. She waved to the others and left.

"Jessica, are you sure you're well enough to return to police headquarters?" Cameron asked.

"James is keeping an eye on me. He knows to drag me home if I look like I'm wearing down." She dug into her salad.

"If she'll let me." Wilson chuckled. "Determined woman."

They ate in silence for a while, but House couldn't keep quiet long. "Will told Cameron that our house is finished and he wants us to come out this evening to look it over."

"That's wonderful," said Jessica. "I can't wait to see it."

"You will, probably before our housewarming party. We'll need help moving in."

"We'll be glad to do that!" Jessica grinned. "And we'll move into the house on Hanbury street next week. The door's fixed and our apartment doesn't need any work."

"You won't mind Will and his crew working above and below you?" Cameron asked.

"I don't think so. We'll be at work during the day."

"You're not going back to work until you're completely well," Wilson said.

"It's not as if I'm doing construction work or lifting heavy boxes," Jess protested.

He looked at her. "You lift heavy dogs who don't want to be lifted."

"True." Jess grimaced.

"Wish I could stay, but I have to get back to the clinic." Cameron slipped past Wilson who'd stood for her. "Jess, I'm glad you're feeling better and especially that your memories are returning."

"Thanks."

"See you all later." Cameron waved and left.

When she reached the clinic, two patients were already waiting to see her.

"Mrs. Klein says she's been vomiting all morning and has diarrhea," Naomi told her. "And Mr. Mancini can't stop coughing."

"Which of them was here first?"

"Mrs. Klein."

Cameron beckoned the middle-aged woman with the curly brown hair. Her face was pale and her walk shaky. In the exam room, Cameron checked her vitals. Her blood pressure and her temperature were both high.

"How often have you been vomiting?" Cameron asked.

"I haven't timed it, but often enough. And the diarrhea occurs almost at the same time."

"You may have the flu, but there are other conditions that could cause those symptoms." Cameron found that the patient's throat was read. "Have you been coughing?" Do you have trouble swallowing?"

"Honestly, I haven't had any appetite," Mrs. Klein said. "But even the water I drink when I take Tylenol™ and the pills themselves are hard to get down."

Cameron examined her mouth again and then checked Mrs. Klein's lymph nodes. They were swollen. "I think you have strep throat. Let me get a sample to test immediately and also to send to a lab to confirm. Meanwhile, I'll put you on a broad spectrum antibiotic." She smiled at the patient. "Say 'ah'."

She took the sample and wrote a scrip. Then she sent Mrs. Klein on her way with advice to get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.

"At least it wasn't the flu," she told Naomi when she gave her the file. She called her next patient. The waiting room had filled while she was examining Mrs. Klein. It promised to be a busy afternoon.


	20. Chapter 20

I've got another one for you.

 **Chapter 20.**

Anita took her bagged lunch and Jessica's added information back to headquarters. She knew Jess had already told Anderson what she remembered, but she didn't know what he'd done about it. Kids fit the kind of vandalism she was already investigating.

Anderson greeted her with, "Anita, glad you're back. Hear about what your friend Dr. Simpson remembered?"

It took her a minute to realize he was talking about Jessica and not Bart. "Yes, she just told me. It seems more likely now that the vandals I'm looking for are the ones who attacked her and the door to House's house." She smiled because she finally said what they'd both tried to avoid. House's houses were loom large in their investigations. "House was afraid the perps were the same ones who vandalized his other house, but I assume you have them locked up."

"Tight as a drum. We'll work with her later to put together a sketch of the faces, or at least as much as she can remember."

She nodded. "I talked to the owners of the other places that were hit, but they don't have security cameras and no one saw anything. Chances are the graffiti was done at night."

"But the attack was in broad daylight." Anderson's bushy brows went up. "They're taking chances."

"If they're willing to strike at any eye witnesses they may be getting reckless." Anita hoped they didn't beat up someone else before they were caught.

"I think they did that out of fear. Certainly her being there wasn't part of their plan." He pointed to the Styrofoam box in her hands. "Go eat your lunch and type up what we've learned so far."

The Shelby PD had a surprisingly modern data system, complete with an internal computer network, direct connections to other law enforcement agencies, and connection to the Internet. When she reached her desk, Anita took out her notes and started keying everything in. As she did, a picture of the vandals formed, not so much what they looked like, but their motivation and modus operandi, or rather two MOs so far.

She was engrossed in the work when her phone rang. It was her new boss, notifying her that Jess was there and working with a sketch artist.

"Did you want to see what they come up with?" he asked.

She grinned. "Do I? That's a stupid question and you're not a stupid man." She saved her work and walked back to Anderson's office. They were gathered around a table in an anteroom. Jess smiled when Anita arrived, then went back to working with the artist.

Beneath his fingers, the image of a man grew. Likely still in his teens, but with a mouth set in determination and eyes filled with excitement. Here was a young man intent on some mischief or worse. He held a baseball bat in his right hand.

The artist went on to the next drawing.

"I don't remember the other two as clearly. But one had very curly black hair and was shorter than the other two."

"You said before they were about six feet tall." Anderson pointed to the portraits. "Did they have square of oval faces?"

"Oh. The first was more square and the second oval." Jess wrung her hands as she went on. "The second one was heavier than the first. His cheeks reddened at the effort to lift his bat. He was the one who struck me, I believe. He had a kind of pug nose."

"And the third?"

She wagged her head. "All I remember about the third was that he was as tall as the first. Maybe brown hair." She pulled her lips in and rubbed the bump on her head. "That's it, that's all I remember. But you have sketches of the first two."

"They're not detailed, but they'll do for starters. Thanks, Jessica," Anderson said. "This couldn't have been easy for you."

She shrugged. "I do want to help. If I think of anything else, I'll call or text you."

Wilson led Jessica out. The artist handed the sketches to Anderson then packed up his pad and pens and left. Anderson turned to Anita. "Show these to the store owners and ask if they can identify either boy." He gave her the pictures of the first two.

Anita nodded. "Right away, although I doubt the owners saw the vandalism taking place. This is a small enough town, that someone will recognize them."

"Can't skip any steps. Never know what will give us that one piece of the puzzle."

As Anita left headquarters, she thought, 'I'm going to enjoy working for this man.'

* * *

Not long after she left, House arrived to speak with Anderson.

"Dr. House, what brings you back so soon?" the chief smiled.

"I went by the place on Hanbury Street. The door's fixed and looking almost like new. Was Jessica able to give your artist a good description of the perps who knocked her out?"

"You mean Dr. Simpson?"

"I mean Dr. Jessica Simpson. Her brother Bart, who was on my staff and now works for Anita's partner, is Dr. Simpson."

Anderson laughed. "Now I know why you called her Jessica."

"Also she's a friend and my BFF's girlfriend."

Anderson sat and offered House the other chair in his office. "We've got a good picture of one of them and a partial on another, but nothing on the third. She said it was the second who attacked her."

House nodded and sat. "Good start. I'm glad it didn't have anything to do with Marshall Pharmaceuticals."

"We haven't ruled that out yet, but it's looking like three youths out for a bit of vandalism." Anderson's mouth was set in a line.

It was a relief to think that it wasn't a personal attack because of his part in the pharma plant investigation. House was glad most of that was wrapped up before he and Cameron moved into their new house so close to the plant.

He left Anderson wondering what to do next. Everything was happening around him. Nobody needed his help. It would be a long wait until it was time to drive out to the house with Cameron. He strode around the town square thinking how his life was changing. He wouldn't be able to open his practice until Will finished the renovations of the office space and the rest of the first floor. He needed something to do in the meantime.

There was always the case his team was working on. But he'd been so busy the last few months, even before he handed the reins over to Thirteen, that he hadn't spent much time as a hands-on boss. Starting now would be silly.

He could always bother Wilson. That would be fun for maybe fifteen minutes.

His contemplation was cut short when he spied Anita talking to the owner of a shop on the corner Peters St. and Main, the side of the square that House was on. She was showing the man a sheet of paper, likely the sketch made from Jessica's memories.

HHH

The team's case was a tough one. They were finding that Hadley was more hands-on than House. Still, she didn't feed them diagnoses, but let them come to their own conclusions. She was there for them to ask questions, and those she asked sent them thinking on the right track. She'd praised them when they solved their last case. Now they had to find the solution to the current one.

"It'll be strange to have the house all to ourselves again," Jacobs said. "I've enjoyed having Wilson, Jessica and Remy living with us."

"Not as if we won't be seeing them all in the future." Magnani checked the latest lab results again and shook his head. "We'll probably see our new boss too much."

Hadley entered as he was speaking. "Talking about me again?" She had a grin on her face.

"Why not?" Jacobs' face held a matching grin.

"Boss, since you're here, take a look at this." Magnani handed over the results. "Don't those numbers seem to contradict each other?"

Simpson looked over Hadley's shoulder from his greater height. "That can't be right."

Magnani shrugged. "The lab swears it is."

"Have any of you questioned lab results before?" Hadley asked.

"Come to think, yes, just last week, but we just ignored the data from that blood test for our previous patient," Jacobs said. "Why do you ask?"

Hadley grimaced. "Because if they get their reagents from Marshall Pharmaceuticals, they may be corrupt. We'll have to check with the lab manager."

"Will the problems with the plant never end?" Magnani asked rhetorically.

* * *

As Anita was canvassing the shopowners, she ran into Gottlieb, Garcia and her old friend, Curt Sawyer. "How's it going?" she asked.

"Our evidence against Harris is mounting," Garcia said.

"What are you up to?" Gottlieb asked.

She smiled at him. "Got a new job, one that will allow me to remain here in Shelby."

"The excitement in this town isn't at your usual level." Sawyer smirked.

"And that's how I like it, but there's always something happening." She started off away from them. "Nice to see you."

Sawyer called after her, "I hear you have someone new and that's why you're staying."

She turned back long enough to say, "None of your business." But she needed something to get rid of the bad taste of meeting Sawyer. The man turned out to be a slimeball. A slice of Mo's pie and a tall glass of iced tea would do.

The booth was empty when she arrived, not surprising since practically everyone was at work. But those who weren't drifted in, first Wilson and Jessica, and not long after, House.

"Jess didn't want to go back to the house to rest," Wilson said.

Jessica ignored him. "Aren't you working?" she asked Anita.

"Needed a break. I'll head out again in a while, write up my report on the little I learned today. I showed your sketch to the store owners, but none of them identified the men, and couldn't say whether they were the ones who vandalized their shops."

"If they were truly young, you could try the high school," House said.

"There's a thought. I might just do that." Anita smiled at House. "Thanks."

"Or you can ask this guy." He motioned for Pete to come over. "He knows everyone in town. And the ones he doesn't know, Linda might."

"Somethin' I kin help with?" Pete said.

"Show him the sketches," House prompted.

Once more Anita took out the sketches. "These are the men who attacked Jessica."

"Hmmm. Think this one's called Hatch. Dunno if'n that's his first or last name." Pete scratched his chin. "I seen him 'round the docks. Shoulda been in school. An' the pudgy one's Wilbur Peck." Pete turned. "Hey, Linda, you know Wilbur Peck's mom? Kinda purty gal, but short 'n' pudgy like him."

Linda came over. "Sure, I know Susie Peck. Yup, that looks like her boy." She tapped the sketch with the pen she used to take orders. "She's 'fraid of the influence of his friends."

"If Jess is correct, she should be worried. He was the one who hit her." Anita took back the page. "At least now we know who one of the kids is. Should be able to find the others from that."

"Just have to know who to ask," House said with a smile that had 'I told you so' written all over it.

"All of you, including Dr. House," she dipped her head in his direction, "thanks for the help."

"Aren't you staying?"

"Have some culprits to catch." Anita grinned and left.

Jessica sipped her iced tea as she watched her go then turned to House."Guess Cameron's getting excited about the election."

House shook his head. "She's more excited about the new house."

"And you're not?" Wilson asked.

His mouth twisted. "Once our furniture and other stuff comes and we set it all up, I may begin to feel like the place is ours."

"Yeah, that's how I feel about our apartment." Jessica grinned. "My furniture should arrive next Tuesday."

Wilson checked the calendar on his phone. "And mine is supposed to be here on Wednesday." He looked up again. "When is Will starting to work on the building?"

"Monday." House twirled his unused spoon. "I doubt we'll move into the house before the following Monday. Cameron's insistent we have a party two weeks after. Of course, that's the same week as the election."

"Don't you want to have a celebration?" Jessica asked.

House didn't reply, but Wilson knew his friend enough to say, "House won't want anyone else in his place until he feels comfortable there, until he's made it his own, not even his closest friends."

With a deep intake of breath, House frowned at him. "That's what you think. I'm perfectly fine with having the party."


	21. Chapter 21

I've got another one for you. But next weekend, I'll be signing and selling my original books at the Duke City Comic Con, so I doubt I'll have a chapter on Sunday evening.

 **Chapter 21.**

Wilson's eyebrows went up a half inch in response to House's statement he wasn't opposed to an open house party. "I'll welcome an invitation."

"Didn't you hear Cameron? You're helping us move in." House grinned suddenly. "We can even make it a moving in party, complete with food and drink provided by those offering to help."

"So you want us to carry boxes and help unpack them. In exchange, we get to eat whatever we bring?"

"That's what I said."

* * *

Anita set out in search of the young men who attacked Jessica and the door to House's office building, possibly also the vandals who scrawled graffiti over four premises. She wasn't sure where to start, although Pete had said one of the men frequented the dock area. The drive out Harbor Road to the shores of the Chesapeake was pleasant enough. Much of the land wasn't developed. She passed the lane to House and Cameron's new home. From the road, it looked substantial, a ranch house spread over the property. She'd seen it from the backside, of course, when she'd been out to the pharma plant.

She reached the dock area. The first time she'd been there. A large building housing a restaurant and offices overlooked four fingers of docking spaces. About half were filled with boats of various sizes from small cabin cruisers and dinghies to good-sized yachts. Who knew!

The offices seemed the best place to start. She strode along the plank walkway, reading the signs outside each space until she came to one marked, Harbor Manager. A large man in t-shirt and jeans talked to a short, plump woman in flowing white pants and a nautical print blouse.

Anita knocked before turning the knob to open the door and entering. "I'll wait." She stood as far from the man and woman as possible in the small office and studied the prints on the wall, boats and men fishing.

The woman suddenly stormed out, but the man addressed Anita in a pleasant voice. "How can I help you?"

Anita whipped out the sketches and placed them on the man's desk. "Do you know these young men?" Then she showed her badge and ID.

The man looked from the pictures to the door.

"Was that Susie Peck?" she guessed then tapped the sketch of her son. "And he's Wilbur."

"Yeah. She was just in here asking me to send him back to school if I see him around here. Wants to separate Wilbur from his new friends." He tapped the other almost complete image. "That's one of them, Hatch. I think his first name's Steve."

"Have you seen them recently?"

"That's what Susie wanted to know, and like I told her, not for a week or so. I chased 'em off then, loafing on the docks when they should be in school." He shook his head.

"That wasn't all they were doing. We suspect they've been spraying graffiti on some shops, but worse then that, Wilbur may have hit a woman over the head before smashing a glass door of a doctor's office."

"He wouldn't do that, not Wilbur. I can't believe it." His head went back and forth without stopping.

"Look, Mr. … Sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Gordon Peck."

"Any relation to Susie and Wilbur?"

In addition to the head shake, he wrung his hands. "She's my wife, and he's my son. He's not really a bad boy. Maybe Susie's right. It's that gang he hangs around with."

"I'm afraid the woman who was attacked says he was the one who hit her. That's a serious charge, much more than vandalizing stores."Anita wondered if the man understood what she was saying. "Mr. Peck, if you see your son or any of his friends, call me immediately. We can go lighter on them if they turn themselves in." She handed him her card and collected the drawings. "Thanks for your time, Mr. Peck."

She didn't know whether the man had any influence over his son or not, but hoped he'd get the message across. On the off chance the young men would show up, she hung around for a while, staring out to the water, watching boats and water skiers go by. She found a bench a little further along the offices and shops where she could breathe in salty sea air. A gull called from a piling then flew off. Chesapeake bay was a wide estuary into the Atlantic and the amount of traffic indicated that it was a vibrant waterway.

At four-thirty, she stood and made her way to her car. Maybe someone warned Wilbur and his friends that she was looking for them. As she passed Peck's office, she noticed he was still at his desk. She didn't stop.

* * *

The team was still stumped about their patient.

"Just because 'it's never lupus' doesn't mean that's always the case," Hadley told them.

"Huh?" Simpson studied her.

She laughed. "It's something I got from House. Didn't he ever tell you guys that?"

All three shookl their heads.

"I see there are gaps in your education. Guess he's been too distracted to fill you full of his bits of wisdom." She smiled. "No worries. I'll make sure you learn everything I did from House."

Jacobs tapped the current file. "Our patient."

"Yes. I hate to tell you this, but you're likely dealing with a patient with lupus."

"Isn't that an autoimmune disease? Chronic."

Hadley nodded. "And it presents with conflicting blood chemistry and symptoms. There are a couple of ways to know for certain." She left it at that. They could do the research themselves. As she left the conference room on her way to her office, she brought up Anita's number on her phone and called.

"Hi there."

"Hi there to you too." Hadley grinned. "How's the search for the perps going?"

"I have a name and I've met the young man's father. Hung around on the dock for while just in case they showed. No luck. I just pulled into the lot at headquarters, but after I record the info I gathered, I'll see whether Pete's at Mo's. I want to run something by him."

"Then I won't keep you. See you there in an hour or so." Hadley was still smiling when she ended the call.

* * *

Anita met Anderson as she entered the building. She told him what she had to put in her report.

"Good work. I'm glad you could identify at least one of the perps and have a partial on another."

"I'm hoping the father will lean on his son, but I'm not counting on it," she said. "My report will recommend that a patrolman be stationed near the dock offices with a copy of the sketches."

Anderson nodded. "Agreed. I'll arrange it. How do you like this kind of work compared to the investigations you did for the Bureau?"

"I guess my attachment to the town makes me feel any crimes here much more deeply." She smiled. "The good folks of Shelby shouldn't be subjected to any disturbance of the tranquility it promises."

Anderson laughed. "You make it sound like paradise."

"Comparatively. Have you ever lived in D.C. or Baltimore?" she asked.

"No, but I can see you have a point." He crossed his arms over his barrel chest. "I've been Chief of Police here for eight years, and before that I was a detective on the force. In that time, I've seen a range of crimes. If there were none, there'd be no need for us." He winked.

She glanced at her watch. "I'll finish my reports. Mind if I cut out early?"

"Got a hot date?"

"No. My partner won't leave the hospital in Snow Hill until five, but I'd like another word with the people who ID'd Wilbur. Now that I know more about him, I have some questions for them."

* * *

Linda was still at the diner, of course, but there was no sign of Pete.

"Got a minute?" Anita asked the waitress after she sat in the otherwise empty booth.

"For my favorite fed turned local cop? Sure."

"Do you know any others?"

Linda laughed. "Got me there. How can I help now?"

"I visited Mr. Peck this afternoon, and I think the woman leaving his office when I arrived was his wife. Can you describe her?" Anita asked.

"Susie? Blond flyaway hair, about five five and plump," Linda said. "How did you know where Mr. Peck worked?"

"Tricks of the trade. They were arguing when I arrived, about Wilbur according to Mr. Peck."

"He's her son from her first marriage. If she was ever married. She arrived in town with the kid, met Gordon Peck. When they married, he adopted Wilbur. He's been trying to make the kid love him ever since."

Throughout Linda's recitation, Anita nodded and took notes on her phone. "So Gordon adopted him but he's not his biological father. He makes excuses for the kid to compensate."

Linda nodded. "That's what I said."

"Explains his attitude toward the kid."

"Don't know how old Wilbur is, but can't be more than seventeen, eighteen."

"Right." That fit. "My impression is that he should have been in high school rather than running around town causing mischief."

"Knocking doctors over the head, you mean."

"Only one to my knowledge. Anderson said he'd stake out the dock. I'll stick to the village square and the streets leading off it." Anita was half talking to herself.

"Has Mrs. Brewster's store been vandalized?" Linda asked. "You weren't here when her nephew tried to poison her so he could get ahold of her estate. But she's back in business now, selling antiques and such."

Anita checked her notes. "No. None of the shop owners is named Brewster."

"Good. Enough trouble has befallen the poor woman." Linda moved closer to whisper, "Not poor in money, you understand."

Their conversation was interrupted by a customer motioning for Linda's attention.

"If I think of anything else about Susie Peck, I'll tell you."

Alone again, Anita sipped her iced tea and read through her notes. She added her impressions of Mr. and Mrs. Peck. _I should have asked the chief if Wilbur had a record_ , she thought.

She wasn't alone long. House showed up at four thirty followed by Wilson and Jessica ten minutes later. In the short time only she and House sat in the booth, she brought him up to date on the investigation into the attack on Jessica and his office. She then told Jessica only that they identified her assailant as Wilbur Peck.

"I finally forced Jessica to sleep for a few minutes." Wilson cast a watchful gaze on Jess.

"I'll sleep tonight. There was too much to do today." She patted Wilson's hand. "Don't fret over me."

"That's something Wilson does best, fretting," House said.

Cameron arrived shortly after five. "What did I miss?"

So Anita repeated what she'd told Jessica and Wilson, knowing House would fill in the gaps for her later. "How was your afternoon at the clinic?"

"Still busy. If it gets any busier, I'll have to hire another doctor, but there's no money for one. The clinic's budget is strained as it is." She gratefully accepted a cup of coffee from Linda.

"If you have enough for a fellowship, fellows work cheap." House smirked at her.

"Don't I know it."

Linda returned to tell them, "The special tonight is fried chicken with mashed or French fried potatoes and salad."

"Sounds good." Wilson grinned. "With mashed."

"To me too," Anita said.

Linda waited patiently for the others to decide.

"Oh, why not. I'll have mine with fries." Cameron sighed deeply. "There goes that diet."

"I'm having what she's having." House pointed to Cameron.

That left Jessica. She glanced at Wilson, but finally joined the crowd. "Me too. With fries."

While they waited for their food, Wilson said, "We went by the house again. Door's fixed so now it's ready for Will."

Cameron smiled. "After we eat we're going out to the Harbor Road house for a walk-through with him."

"That's exciting," Jess said.

But House muttered something about, "Too bad we won't be alone."


	22. Chapter 22

Sorry for the delay getting another chapter ready for you. Conventions always cut into my writing and revising time. This one is slightly shorter than usual.

 **Chapter 22.**

After dinner topped off with a piece of pie, House and Cameron drove out to the Harbor Drive house. It was a chilly fall evening and Cameron pulled a jacket on as she got out of the car in the lane. Will waited for them by their front door. He handed a key each to House and Cameron, but until every detail was complete, he kept one for himself.

They entered the tiled entryway. House opened the door to the hall closet, empty save for a rod to hang coats and a shelf for hats and gloves. A stand next to the closet would be perfect for umbrellas and canes.

"Kitchen first, I think." Will led the way. "You've seen the appliances, cabinets and counters, but we've added a back-splash above the stove using tiles that complement the counters."

Cameron ran a hand over the granite counters, smooth and warm. She tried to picture House's kitchen table in the empty spot in front of the bay window. The tile floor gave enough that it was easy to walk on.

From there, they entered the dining room. The chandelier they'd selected gleamed when Will flicked on the light. The room had a window to the side yard where Cameron hoped to plant a flowering fruit tree, maybe a cherry. Chair rails went all the way around the room, just waiting for a dining room set.

The living room was completely empty. "Plenty of room for your furniture and mine, even your piano."

She walked to the French doors that led to a brick patio out back and smiled.

She caught up with House and Will in the his and hers study was next, floor to ceiling built-in shelves for his books on one wall and more on another wall for hers. A large room with space for two desks and a recliner or two. "The fireplace won't be needed to heat the place, but it'll lend romance." Will pointed to the mantel at one end of the room.

They passed the glass French doors to the inner courtyard and she smiled. House had remembered how much she wanted one. It was already planted with rose bushes and other shrubs, but this late in the fall, held no blooms.

"Oh, House. It's wonderful. Thank you. I will enjoy sitting out there, listening to the water gurgling in the fountain and inhaling the scent of the flowers."

He forced his mouth to give up the tendency to smile. "You'll have to wait for spring for that."

A guest bathroom with more granite counters, a marble sink, and gleaming faucets, was followed by two guest bedrooms with windows to the rear and side. Finally the master bedroom with a huge walk-in closet and en suite bathroom. House stopped and stared at the additions to the shower Cameron had requested for him. He finally smiled at her. That was the only thanks she got. The rest of the room was perfect, featuring two sinks in a long counter, mirrored medicine cabinets, and ample towel racks.

The game room already contained a pool table, but there was plenty of room for more.

Aside from a utility room and the door to the garage, that completed their walk-through.

"Will, you've done a wonderful job. I couldn't have asked for more," Cameron said. "Thank you so much."

House didn't say anything, but he couldn't keep his expression of pure enchantment from showing.

"I'll start work on the Hanbury Street house on Monday." Will opened the front door and they exited. "Just hope the additional materials we'll need show up, but I have enough to start."

Cameron nodded. "Our furniture should arrive during the week, so we'll move in here then."

"Did they ever find out who attacked Dr. Simpson and bashed in the door to your office?" Will asked.

"We know who the culprits are. The police are on the look-out for them. Three high school-aged kids who should have been in class." They'd reached the car. House turned to Will. "Just be careful at the Hanbury Street House. I'll see you there sometime next week."

* * *

Wilson and Jess sat close together on the couch as usual and the team occupied the arm chairs they'd claimed months before in the living room at the rental place.

"Not going to be many more nights like this." Simpson frowned.

His sister shook her head. "I told you before, Bart, we won't be that far away. You can come visit anytime you want, and I'm sure we'll be here many times in the future."

"But it won't be the same." He moped.

"Bart, it'll be better," Jacobs said. "From what I saw, their new place will be fabulous."

"All the more reason they won't come over here," he whined. "I don't know how I feel about our old boss being downstairs and our new boss being upstairs from you."

"Will you be able to help us move in?" Jess asked.

"Sure." Jacobs smiled and looked to the men for their agreement, but only got a curt nod from Magnani. "Guess we'll also be roped into helping House and Cameron move into their house."

Jess nodded. "And eventually Hadley and Anita into their apartment."

"Good way to build muscles." Magnani flexed his forearm.

Everyone laughed, even Simpson.

"Who's up for popcorn?" Jacobs asked bouncing out of her seat.

"I'll pick a few DVDs for us to decide on." Magnani rose and headed for the built in shelves overflowing with books, DVDs and CDs. "Will you have shelves like these for your books?"

Jess nodded. "You may not have noticed, but there's a wall of built in shelves in the living room."

Jacobs returned with an overflowing bowl of popcorn on a tray with cans of soda and beer. "What did you find, Rocco?"

He held up two DVDs. "The original Die Hard and You've Got Mail."

The guys picked the first one and the women the second.

"We outvote you." Simpson bared his teeth as he giggled.

"Okay, if we must, but how about something with action AND romance?" Jess begged.

They finally settled on The Princess Bride, again, sat back and enjoyed.

* * *

Anita and Hadley decided to make a trip to the Hanbury house to see if they'd forgotten anything. The street was quiet, although there were lights on in all the nearby houses and the store at the end where Hanbury met Main, one side of the town square.

They had a key to the side door so they entered the building that way. The first floor appeared undisturbed. They were almost to the top floor when they heard sirens.

"What happened now?" Hadley stopped and looked down.

They raced down the stairs to the front door and looked outside through the new glass panes. Two of the towns three police cars drove up, one on either side of theirs. They exchanged astonished looks, rushed to the side door and then walked to the stopped vehicles.

A policeman got out of each.

"Officers, what seems to be the problem?" Hadley asked.

"We had reports of someone in this empty house," the taller one said.

Anita squinted at him in the dim streetlamp light. "Allen, isn't it? I met you at headquarters earlier today." She smiled.

His eyebrows went up. "Oh, it's you. Morrow. What are you doing breaking into this house? Didn't you know it was under surveillance?" Allen asked.

"Yes, I did. I suppose I should have alerted someone." She pointed to Hadley. "Dr. Hadley and I are going to live here once the property is renovated, and we're doing some of the work ourselves. Just checking to see what we need."

His shoulders relaxed and he smiled. "I'm not too shabby with a Spackle knife. Let me know if you need help." He started to walk away.

"We'll keep you in mind, Allen," Anita said.

He turned to wave then must have told the other patrolman that she was supposed to be there.

Hadley and Anita went back inside and up the stairs to their floor. "The kitchen needs the most work," Anita said. "Let's start there."

They examined every appliance, every cabinet and every wall. "The floor should be replaced. Do you want to tackle that now or wait and do it later?" Hadley asked.

"You mean after we move in?"

Hadley nodded.

"I'd rather not be living here while we're laying a floor and can't get in here."

"Then we do it now." Hadley wrote it down on their list and they moved on to the bedroom.

It didn't need much work, but they'd have to be careful with the arrangement so they got as much light from the window as possible.

* * *

Cameron sat next to House on the convertible couch, leaning her head against his chest. "The more times I see our new home, the more times I can't believe we're doing this."

He kissed the top of her head. "Before long, I'll have my own office, too. Never thought I'd be this… this… "

She pulled back so she could face him. "Gregory House. I can't believe you're scared."

"Not scared."

"Oh, no? Then what do you call it, Mr. Unemotional?"

"Maybe a little anxious, but not scared, never that." He brushed at the hair that had fallen across her forehead.

"Stop trying to distract me," she said. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you. On a scale of one to ten, how anxious are you?"

He pursed his lips. "Why?"

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to. You can renovate the office and then put the building on the market. I don't think Wilson is ready to give up his position at the hospital to start his own practice, but we can use another doctor in this town."

He kissed her forehead. "You're saying I shouldn't have left the hospital to take on my own office."

"That's not what I'm saying at all, but if you have so many misgivings, maybe a single practice isn't for you."

"Did you want to go in with me?" His arm slid around her.

"I already have a practice here. It may be in a clinic but it's close to the same thing." She smirked. "And despite the load, I like it. If you or someone else sets up a practice here, my load will become manageable. Well, maybe not if it's you."

"You could go in with me instead. I bet you think you'll do all the work." He shrugged. "You're doing it anyway, now."

"You're putting words in my mouth." She looked up then into his blue eyes. "All right. I'll drop the discussion. If you're going to twist whatever I say, I might as well shut up."

He smiled.

Still, as he slipped off her top, she knew she'd have to get him to admit he was frightened that his first attempt at a solo office might not fly. Once he did that, she'd be able to convince him that he shouldn't be afraid.


	23. Chapter 23

Finally finished this one.

 **Chapter 23.**

"Have to rush to the clinic before the hordes descend." Cameron laughed and left House to finish his breakfast at the diner alone.

"Guess I wasn't kidding," she told herself. A line of patients waited for her to open the door. She wondered why Naomi wasn't there, but chalked it up to one of the kids being sick. She could have brought them with her to add to her load. "The sooner House opens his office the better."

The people parted ways when they saw her. She turned the key and opened the clinic door. "Just give me a moment." She spied the check-in pad they sometimes used on Naomi's otherwise empty desk. "Sign in please while I take off my jacket and get my lab coat. I assume you know who was first."

They all pointed to a thin thirty-something woman in a threadbare sweater.

"Marian. Sign in and take the first seat nearest the door to the exam room. The rest of you, sort yourselves out." She disappeared through that door and leaned against it with her eyes closed. "It's gonna be one of those days."

* * *

House drained the last of his coffee, deciding what to do with his day. He was interrupted by Owen Marshall sitting down across from him.

"That seat's taken." He wasn't sure he wanted to talk to the man just then.

Marshall shrugged it off. "I thought you'd want to know I've cleaned house at the labs and the manufacturing plant."

"What makes you think I'd be happy about that?"

His smile evaporated. "You were instrumental in bringing to light the crimes and criminals at both facilities, and I wanted to thank you."

House balled his fists. "No need. Is there anything else?"

Marshall sputtered, "Well, no, that is, yes, I mean … "

House laughed at his unease. "Might as well sit. We've never been friends, Marshall. What happened at you pharmaceutical company won't change that. But I knew you weren't responsible. That doesn't mean I like you any better. It's just a fact."

"Okay." Marshall stared at him, puzzled.

"You don't know me." House's mouth twitched. "If you did, you'd know I don't want your thanks, I don't want you to share information. So I'll tell you once and hope to never have to tell you again, I did what I did for the people of this town. I didn't do it for you or for me. I did it because it was the right thing to do." He raised his mug so Linda would know to refill it. "Now I'll ask you to vacate that seat."

It wasn't as if he was waiting for someone, but Marshall had rubbed him the wrong way from day one. He'd rather be alone than talking to that idiot.

That lasted five minutes. Anita walked through the door. Linda approached to fill a cup for her. "To go, please. I'm working. Just wanted to let the good doctor know everything's wrapped up at the pharma company."

"Marshall beat you to it," House said.

"Did he now?" She smiled.

House nodded once. "Said he got rid of the bad apples."

"Yes and the company was fined by the FDA."

House whistled. "Good. They deserved it. If he was so unaware of what was happening, he should pay."

Linda brought the lidded cup to Anita.

"Thanks. The coffee at headquarters is even worse than it used to be at the FBI."

"Have you caught the vandals?" House asked.

"Not yet. It won't be long since we know who they are. But they're being particularly elusive."

Anita turned to thank Linda for her information, but the waitress was serving another table. "See you later, House." She took her coffee and left.

She passed a man at the door. "Who was that?" he asked House, taking the seat occupied earlier by Marshall.

"That's Thirteen's latest love." House stared at the man. "What are you doing in Shelby?"

"They want me to check the latest scans on Nora Miesner's brain tomorrow," Foreman said. "Thought I'd show up early."

"Uh-huh." House's lips set in a hard line. "But the hospital's in Snow Hill. This is Shelby."

"I could say the same to you. Why aren't you there?" Foreman looked at his watch. "This is even late for you to be still here."

"Haven't you heard? I turned the reins over to Hadley and I'm starting a new practice all by my lonesome."

"You're not a GP," Foreman sneered. "What kind of practice you starting?"

"Do you really think I don't know enough medicine to be an internist? That's what most people want these days. Mostly a gatekeeper to send them to specialists. I could do that in my sleep."

"Here in Shelby?" Foreman asked.

"Sure. All the people have now is the clinic and Cameron's swamped." He wasn't going to bring up the issue with the flu patients.

Linda stopped by to see whether they needed anything.

Foreman checked his watch again. "A bit early for lunch, but I'll have some coffee."

"You got it. Doc?"

"I'll have some more and a donut."

"Mo baked 'em fresh this morning. Then again, you know that." She poured coffee for Foreman and topped up House's before going to get the donut.

"Staying here?" House asked.

"It's either here or the hotel on the square, and that's pretty pricey." Foreman looked around the diner. "So, Remy decided to stay here."

"She didn't want to wait for PPTH to be back in operation. And then she met Anita."

"The dark haired woman who just left."

House nodded. "Better watch it. She's a cop, former FBI."

Foreman through that one over, sipping his coffee.

* * *

Anita went back to the dock to look for the vandals. The patrolman Anderson assigned there was one of the veterans on the force. Anita met him briefly.

"Miss Morrow." He nodded to her.

"Nichols. Any activity here?"

"Nah. Nada. They must be lying low. I'm sure by now they know we know they're the ones who vandalized those properties and conked the veterinarian over the head."

"I wouldn't be surprised." She looked down towards the dock office. "I'll take a stroll that way and back." She left him and headed toward the end of the pier. It was quiet, no boaters there that day. She listened to the gulls and looked out over the water of Chesapeake Bay, thinking about the pollution the actions of the drug company's manufacturing plant may have caused.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Miss Morrow?" Pete appeared around the end of the building.

"Still looking for the vandals. No one's seen them since the attack at Dr. House's new office." The old man seemed to know a thing or two about the town and the people in it. She decided to cultivate him as a source. "Did you know I'm working for Chief Anderson?"

"Are you now? Well, that's swell. Chief can use a smart cookie like you." He winked at her, and she laughed.

"Pete, you haven't seen them recently, have you?"

His weathered face scrunched up. "You mean Wilbur Peck and his pals? Can't say I have, but I'll keep a look-out for 'em and let you know if they show up."

She pointed toward the water. "Planning on going out on you boat today?"

"Was out." He frowned and scratched his neck. "Fishing's been pretty poor lately."

"Now that we've stopped the pollution by the drug company, it should improve."

"Hope so. Well, I'd best be runnin' along. Promised Mrs. Brewster I'd fix the fence 'round her garden." He waved as he ambled along the pier to the car park.

Yes, definitely a source to cultivate, she thought.

* * *

Naomi finally arrived at the clinic, her two youngest children in tow. "When you have a minute, could you please have a look at Jacob's throat?"

"Of course." Cameron smiled at the children. "What about Sarah?"

"She's fine, but he's been running a fever and complaining about a scratchy throat." Naomi took off the children's coats and then her own before taking her place behind her desk.

"After these patients." Cameron indicated the two patients waiting for her.

"Sure."

Cameron took the next one into the exam room. But she wondered why Naomi hadn't called earlier or brought Jacob in when the clinic opened. And why wasn't Sarah in school?

With these thoughts in the back of her mind, she turned to her current patient. "What brings you here today, Mr. Lincoln?"

"It's my arthritis. Been acting up the last coupla days." He rubbed his hands together then moved on to his knees.

"Are you doing the exercises I gave you last time?"

"Yeah, well, most days. You know how it is. Got other things to do."

"Right. And you're taking your medication?"

He scrunched up his nose. "Can't tol'rate it. Tried to take the pills with water but they tasted bitter."

"I can switch you to a capsule form, but you have to take them. Otherwise, you'll ache all the time." She looked him in the eyes. "Promise you'll do your stretches and take these pills."

"I'll try."

She smiled and quoted Yoda. "Not try, do." She wrote him a scrip and sent him on his way.

"What are the odds he'll be back in a month?" she asked Naomi before calling the next patient.

* * *

At five, Jacobs knocked on Hadley's door, and entered when her boss told her to. "You were right. It was lupus. I don't know why we didn't consider that before."

"Because it presents like so many other diseases."

"We've started treatment and provided him with the proper prescriptions so the symptoms shouldn't recur."

"Good."

"On another note, will you and Anita need us to help you with your renovations tonight?" Instead of looking like she wanted to get out of it, Jacobs looked eager. "Because my favorite thing after medicine is home decorating. The guys and the homeowner vetoed my suggestions at our house, so all I could touch was my room."

Hadley grinned. "We'd love the help. There's more to do than we thought. What about Simpson and Magnani?"

Jacobs shrugged. "I think they have a basketball game they want to watch. They also need some time without me hanging around. The three of us have done everything together since we came here."

"I planned to stop at the diner for dinners to go so we can work straight through." Hadley shuffled papers on her desk and came up with a blank sheet and a pen. "What do you want?"

Jacobs smiled. "Whatever the special is. I trust Mo." She started for the door then turned around. "I'll see you at the building around six. I assume you or Anita have a key."

"Yes, we each do. See you later."

Jacobs rushed off to tell Simpson and Magnani they could make it a guys night.

She found them arguing. If they weren't in a hospital, they might have resorted to punching each other. "What's all this?"

"Your boyfriend seems to think he can tell me what I'm doing tonight." Simpson turned from glaring at Magnani to focusing on her. "What if I have a date, huh?"

She was about to tell both of them what they were doing, so she clamped her lips together.

"No comment?" Simpson jeered.

"Leave Heather out of it," Magnani said. "Your beef is with me." He motioned with both hands, urging Simpson to bring it on.

"You can't fight. Not here." She stamped her foot. "Bart, what's gotten into you? Are you feeling like Rocco and I are running your life?"

Simpson hung his head. "I feel like I'm a third wheel. If you two want to do something together, leave me out of it."

She crossed her arms. "Actually, I came to tell you both that I'm helping Hadley and Anita tonight, and you both are on your own." She reached for her purse. "You can do something together or each do something different. I don't care."

Simpson and Magnani stared at her and then each other. Magnani spoke first. "You're going to leave me alone with this hothead?"

"You know he isn't a hothead," she said.

Simpson rubbed his face. "It was different with my sister and Wilson around."

"They will be for a few days more," Jacobs said.

"But after that, I expect you'll want me to be scarce."

Magnani put a hand on his shoulder. "We can still do things together, the three of us."

"I suppose," Simpson said glumly.

Jacobs patted him on the back. "Cheer up, Bart. I could have insisted you come with me to help Hadley and Anita."


	24. Chapter 24

Hope this chapter doesn't ramble too much. I've got way too much on my plate right now and sometimes I'm writing without thinking scenes through.

 **Chapter 24.**

Jacobs arrived at the House on Hanbury at six, smiling because before she left Rocco and Bart, they were planning what video games they'd play while she was gone. She tried the front door, but it was closed and locked. The repairs from the broken glass made it look better than ever.

She looked for Hadley and Anita outside, but they weren't there, so she went around to the side door and knocked. Anita appeared almost immediately. "Remy said you were coming. She hasn't arrived with dinner yet, but come on in and up the stairs. Watch the strips of wood, cans of paint and ladder."

She easily avoided the materials waiting for Will's men to start the inside work on the first floor. The climb to the third floor landing wasn't hard.

Anita had obviously been hard at work already. She was stripping a striped wallpaper from the entry of the apartment.

"What can I do?" Jacobs asked.

"Can you remove the hinges on the kitchen cabinet doors?" Anita didn't move from where she was working.

"If I can find a screw driver that matches the bolts."

Anita pointed to a tool box.

Before line, Hadley glanced Jacobs' way and said,"You're a natural at this,"

Jacobs had removed the hinges from all the cabinet doors and begun stripping the varnish off them. "Are you going to stain these or paint them?"

"If the wood was better, I'd sand them down and apply another coat of varnish, but since they're cheap particle board, painting them is our only option."

Jacobs nodded. "Leave the frames as they are or paint them also? I mean, should I sand those?"

Hadley studied the cabinets with the doors removed then called, "Anita, decision time."

Anita appeared in the doorway. She'd been putting up shelves in the second bedroom. "What are we deciding?"

"Paint the frames of the cabinets either the same color as the doors or another color or leave them as is?"

Anita touched one. "The wood is better than the doors. I say leave them natural."

Jacobs smiled. "I'll sand them too and then apply some of the varnish you put on the baseboard. They'll look cleaner and newer."

"Do you think Magnani and Simpson can get along without you for one evening?" Anita asked.

"They're big boys. They'll cope. Much as I love being around them and working with them, it can be a little too much. I need time away from them, even if they don't need it away from me."

HHH

House and Cameron joined Wilson and Jessica in the booth at the diner. "Where's everyone else?" Cameron asked.

"Hadley was just here to pick up dinner for herself, Anita and Heather. They're working on the third floor apartment."

"What about your brother and Magnani?"

"I think they're eating leftovers and playing video games."

"You're late tonight."

"The clinic was swamped, including Naomi's son." She frowned. "In fact, she didn't come in until late because he was so sick. I'm testing him for meningitis. He never received the vaccine."

"What symptoms does he have? That's rare."

"Fever and headache, joint pain, cold hands, and a rash." Cameron bit her lip. "The only time I ever saw a rash like that, it was meningitis."

"But it could also be a very bad flu, right?" Jessica said hopefully.

"I sent him to the hospital for observation." "I wondered why she hadn't come in this morning, but she showed up this afternoon with him. Sarah seems fine, as I said before, but she was with them. I'll watch her since she was exposed to him. They're both too young to receive the vaccine."

"They're also too young to get meningitis. Or too old," Wilson said. "It's usually seen in babies and older teens."

"Why don't you tell us something we don't know?"

"House, you don't have to nasty," Cameron said.

He shrugged it off. "I'm going into the hospital tomorrow."

"You're worried about him." Cameron was surprised but shouldn't have been.

"If I can do anything to ensure he recovers, that'll help Naomi and in turn help you."

She smiled. "Impeccable reasoning. Thanks."

HHH

After Magnani beat Simpson in three video games, they ordered a pizza and a six-pack. They brought them down to the basement, that was usually unused but held a ping-pong table and a pool table. "Which should we play first?" Simpson asked.

"That pool table looks lonely." Magnani pointed to it.

They put their food and drink on the ping-pong table and each took a cue from the holder on the wall.

"Sorry I made such a fool of myself earlier."

"Bart, I don't think you're a fool. I know you had a thing for Heather, and were hurt when she picked me."

Simpson tapped his cue on the table. "So what should I do now?"

"You act as if there aren't tons of women who might suit you. What about the nurses at the hospital? What about any women you meet in town?"

"Who has time to meet anyone in town?" Simpson said.

"That's true, but what about nurses? Mary? Jenny? Ooh!" Magnani grinned. "How about Madelaine?"

"The new nurse in Pediatrics?"

"Yes, that's the one. She's cute, seems competent. Have lunch with her instead of us tomorrow. Talk to her, get to know her."

"Do you really think so? I mean, maybe she won't be interested in me." Bart put down his cue and sat on one of the nearby stool, his head hung down and his shoulders slumped.

"Bart, why not? You're a doctor. Young, good looking, smart. What's not to like?"

"Heather doesn't like me. She likes you instead."

"You sound like a high school kid. C'mon, Heather likes you just fine, just not in the same way you like her." Rocco tried to think of how to boost his friend's ego. "She likes you just fine and so do I. There's a girl, or more than one, out there who will fall for you and you'll have your pick." He thought of something. "When we first came to Shelby, Chrissy had a crush on you."

"I guess."

Rocco handed him a beer. "Cheer up. Let's play some pool."

HHH

Cameron drained the last of her iced tea and took out her cell phone. "I'm going to call the hospital, find out Jacob's condition."

House, Wilson and Jessica were silent as she made the call. All they could hear was her side of the conversation.

"Yes, this is Dr. Cameron from the clinic in Shelby. I sent a patient there a short time ago and I wanted to check on his condition." A pause. "Jacob Briggs." A longer pause. "Thank you." She smiled. "May I ask what doctor is assigned to his case?" A frown. "I don't know the name. Is he new?" Last pause. "Thank you." Cameron closed the connection.

"How is he?" prompted Jessica.

"Stable for now. The doctor assigned to the case is a woman named Chatterji. She's been at Snow Hill two months." Cameron looked at House and Wilson to see if either recognized the name.

"Never met her," House said.

"Is she in Pediatrics?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, that's what they said. Do you know her?"

"No."

"I expect you'll both be sure to meet her tomorrow."

"I expect we will." House smiled.

HHH

At the apartment, Anita had just finished the book shelves. She dusted herself off as she walked to the kitchen where the other two worked. "I think we've done enough tonight."

"Yes." Hadley glanced at her watch. "It's almost nine."

Heather put away her tools and rinsed her hands. "Wonder what I'll find when I get back to the house." She smiled. "Hopefully, Wilson and Jessica will have cleaned up any mess the guys made. You coming with me, Dr. Hadley."

"You don't have to be so formal here. I may be your boss at the hospital, but here I'm just Remy."

Jacobs laughed. "Okay, Just Remy, are you coming back to the house or staying with Anita in her motel room?"

Hadley looked from one to the other as if she was trying to make up her mind.

"I'll be glad when we move in here and out of that room," Anita said. "Not that it's terrible, but because it's so small in comparison."

Hadley finally sighed. "I'd better go back to the house so I can gather everything I have there. It won't be long before we'll be moving in here."

"Wilson and Jessica plan to move into their place on Monday. The guys, especially Bart, are dreading their departure."

"What about you?" asked Anita.

Heather shrugged. "I've enjoyed having them. You too, Dr., I mean Remy. But it's time we adjust to having only three people. That's the way it was originally."

HHH

Wilson and Jess arrived to find Magnani and Simpson in the basement, playing ping pong.

"I haven't played that in a long time," Jess said.

"After I beat Rocco for the gazillionth time, we can have a game like we used to when we were kids."

"Not gonna happen," Magnani said. "I mean you beating me. And what do you mean the gazillionth time? Seems to me we're just about even in the win column."

Wilson and Jess sat on the couch to watch as the game went on. The players were evenly matched, so it took a while for either of them to amass twenty-one points. In the end, Magnani won.

Simpson took Jess' place on the couch, crossing his arms and frowning.

"Ignore him." Magnani aimed his paddle at Simpson. "He's been sulking on and off all evening."

"Aw, Bart." Jess picked up her paddle. "What's wrong? Are you still unhappy about us leaving?"

Magnani shook his head. "He's finally complaining that Heather picked me instead of him."

"Shut up, Rocco." Simpson threw the paddle back. "You don't have to gloat. You're not the only couple around here. Everyone has someone except me." Simpson grabbed one of the throw pillows and hugged it like a teenage girl might.

"Bart, I'm sure there's someone out there for you."

"That's what I told him, but he's still sulking."

Simpson stood and left the basement.

Magnani closed his eyes and when he opened them he looked down. "Guess everything I said made things worse. I'll go see whether I can smooth things over."

He clomped up the steps.

"Wanna play?" Jess asked Wilson.

"Been a long time." I took the paddle on Magnani's side of the table.

HHH

Magnani found Simpson in his bedroom staring at the overstuffed bookcase. "I take back everything I said tonight, truly I do."

Simpson wouldn't look at him.

Magnani remained in the doorway. "Bart, I hope you know I'd do anything for you, help you anyway I can."

Simpson finally turned to him. "You didn't have to gloat."

"No, I didn't," Magnani said. "I'm sorry. I hate having you angry with me."

"And I don't need your sympathy or my sister's or anyone else's."

"Of course you don't."

"I think I'll take your advice with that pediatrics nurse."

"Good. Go for it."

Simpson inhaled and let the breath out slowly. "Sorry I've been acting like a jerk tonight."

Magnani shrugged. "It's no worse than any of us have acted one time or another."

Jacobs voice drifted up the stairs to them.

"Your girlfriend's home," Simpson said.

Magnani smiled. "Yes she is.


	25. Chapter 25

I'm off to another convention, this time a pop culture one in Amarillo. We have a booth in the vendors area. So I probably won't have another chapter for two weeks.

 **Chapter 25.**

For once in the morning, House was up early, eager to get going.

"Coming with me for breakfast before you go to the hospital?" Cameron asked.

"I suppose. You haven't heard anything about Jacob, have you?"

She checked her smart phone for messages she might have missed while she was sleeping. "No, nothing."

"I wonder in this case if that's good news."

"Naomi would have called or sent me a text if she had anything to report." She went into the bathroom.

He closed the sofa bed and sat down to wait his turn.

She didn't take long. She came out wearing just a towel. House smiled before entering and closing the door.

She dressed for the day, wondering whether or not to call Naomi but deciding against it.

* * *

"Got plans for the weekend?" Simpson asked.

His sister smiled. "We'll spend a little time at the Hanbury St. house. We want to do a few things ourselves rather than let Will do it all."

"I'll probably help Anita and Remy," Jacobs said.

"Since when are you on a first name basis with our boss?" Simpson laughed.

"She insisted. I felt funny, but it's what she wants, at least when we're not at the hospital."

"Maybe we should help too. Then we can all call her Remy." Magnani laughed.

"In all the time she lived here, that's what we called her," Jessica reminded them.

Jacobs nodded. "But that was before she became our boss."

"Of course, today, at the hospital, we'll call her Dr. Hadley."

"Of course."

"Breakfast first?" asked Wilson.

"Sure. Have to restore our energy," said Magnani. "And Bart has to be ready to hit on the pediatrics nurse."

Jacobs raised her eyebrows. "What's that all about?"

"Well, you saw him last night when you came home. Down in the dumps. Feeling sorry for himself because we each have someone, but he doesn't."

"Magnani, you didn't have to bring that up." Simpson hung his head.

"We agreed the cure was to have him get friendly with a nurse in Pediatrics. Date her or someone else he meets at the hospital. He spends far too much time with all of us."

"Bart, how do you feel about that?" asked Jessica.

Simpson shrugged. "Guess it's worth a try. But I need a reason to be in pediatrics. Our current patient is thirty-eight."

"Go visit Jacob," Jessica suggested.

"Oh. Yes, I can do that. Great idea." Simpson grinned.

"But we still need breakfast first." Wilson stood and found his car keys.

* * *

Hadley and Anita came through the door at the diner, talking about what still had to be finished on their apartment.

"Did you get a lot done last night?" Cameron asked.

"More than I thought," Anita replied.

"Heather helped. She was pretty handy with a screwdriver." Hadley took a seat.

"We hope to get much more done this weekend," Anita added.

Linda stopped by to pour them both coffee. "The usual?"

They nodded, but then Anita said, "I think we're in a rut, though. One egg, a slice of wheat toast and coffee every morning."

"Try something else for a change." House half-smiled.

"We could have rye toast, or maybe French toast, combine the egg and the bread," Hadley said.

Cameron smiled. "Mo makes a mean French toast using whole grain bread and a touch of cinnamon."

"Sounds good."

"Make that two."

"Enough about food and renovations. Did you catch the vandals yet?" House asked.

"No. They seem to have vanished since we ID'd them." Anita frowned. "There's a stake-out on the dock and surveillance of the area where they struck before and where each of them live. That's all we can do for now."

"Did you ever ID the third person?"

"Unfortunately, no. The other two could be staying with him, but we don't have any description and no one has given us any information of known associates of the two we do know."

"You're talking about the vandals who attacked me and House's building?" Jessica had just arrived with Wilson when Anita finished.

"Yes. No one's seen them since we ID'd them but we're watching for them."

"Where are the trio of mischief?" House asked.

Jessica chuckled. "They're on their way."

Sure enough the three young doctors walked through the door. As always when everyone was there they had to bring over a few chairs. Meanwhile, Linda brought Anita and Hadley's French toast.

"That looks good," Jacobs said, and her two mates agreed.

"I'll have an order of them also." House had already polished off a plate of scrambled eggs and breakfast ham but that didn't stop him.

Soon everyone was too busy with what they were eating to talk much. When House finished, he asked Anita and Wilson, who sat between him and the aisle, to let him out. He waved a couple of fingers and left the diner.

"Where's he going?"

"He said he was going to the hospital to see Jacob Briggs." Cameron had finished her breakfast but remained, taking a last few minutes before she had to open the clinic.

* * *

House drove to the hospital and parked in the physicians' garage, even though he no longer worked there. He took the elevator to the fourth floor, the home of pediatrics. He asked the nurse behind the desk for Jacob's room then found it easily.

Naomi was there. "I thought I'd pop in for a visit before I go to the clinic. I texted Dr. Cameron that I'd be late."

"She probably doesn't expect you to come in at least until after you get your son's diagnosis."

"Dr. House, can you make sure he's well taken care of?" Her anxiety was noticeable

"I'm sure he will be."

"Do you know Dr. Chatterji?" Naomi asked.

"No, but I've had few reasons to deal with the doctors up here. I don't know many of them." Doctors had stopped long ago leaving a patients file in the room, but he could tell from the monitors that Jacob was stable. Not well, but stable, he wasn't getting worse, which spoke against meningitis. House smiled. "Guess we'll meet her now."

An Indian woman of medium height with light brown skin and dark hair and eyes entered the room. Her manner said 'doctor' and it was reinforced by the white coat she wore and the stethoscope around her neck. She held a file, likely Jacob's.

"Mrs. Briggs, is this a relative?"

House chuckled. With his white skin and the Briggs family's black, it was unlikely, but he would never assume anything about families these days. "I'm a doctor from Shelby and Mrs. Briggs' friend. I've also practiced in this hospital up until a week or so ago."

"He's also the partner of the doctor I work for," Naomi added. "The one who first diagnosed Jacob."

Chatterji studied him through slitted eyes. Her lips turned down. "The notorious Dr. House, I presume."

"One and the same." House smiled and tilted his head in a kind of bow.

"I hope you won't interfere in my care of Jacob."

"Moi? Interfere?" House arched an eyebrow.

"Good. You can visit him, during visiting hours," she emphasized the last three words seeing it was four hours until they started.

House saluted. "Yes Ma'am."

"It's 'yes, Doctor Ma'am.'" She smirked at him.

House laughed. "I like her. She'll do just fine for Jacob."

"Thanks, Dr. House." Naomi sat beside Jacob's bed and took out her cell phone. "I'll call Dr. Cameron and let her know."

House left the room but not the hospital. He went to find Hadley.

She's made herself comfortable in his old office. "I know you're not here to take back your chair." Her smirked was even smirkier than Chatterji's.

"Keep an eye on young Jacob. I trust his doctor, but I'd feel happier if someone I know looked in on him now and then."

"Sure. And the team will pitch in too."

* * *

Since Jessica was finally cleared to return to work at the veterinary clinic.

"I'm so glad you're back and feeling better," Dr. Carter said. "This place has been busy."

"I'm glad to be back. I saw how many patients are waiting for you. Whatever you want me to do to help." She quickly got back into the routine trading off patients with him.

Late in the morning a familiar one came in. Edna McClelland arrived with Tabby. "I think she's close to being do."

"Let's see." Jess examined her. Tabby was most definitely hours if not minutes away from giving birth. "Why don't you leave her here so we can help her through her labor."

"We still haven't decided about what to do with the kittens." Edna stroked the cat's head.

"I thought you were taking one, and Tabby would return to her former home with all of us who'll be living there starting next week."

"Yes, we did discuss that possibility. But we don't even know how many kittens there'll be."

"True. Let's see what happens. There are plenty of people who'll take her babies, right, Tabby?"

The cat 'meowed' on cue and the two women laughed.

"You'll let me know when the kittens have been born?"

"Of course. Don't worry. Tabby's in good hands." Jess held up her gloved ones. She made the cat as comfortable as possible as Edna left, and Jess went on to the next patient, a shih tzu that had gotten a stone caught in it's paw. Jess extracted the offending pebble all the while watching Tabby.

* * *

"I'm going to check on Jacob Briggs in Pediatrics," Hadley told her team just before lunchtime.

After a nudge from Magnani, Simpson stepped forward. "I'll go. You can visit him later."

Hadley wondered about Simpson's motives, but agreed.

Simpson took the elevator up to the fourth floor, planning his approach to Madelaine, the pediatric nurse. "Hi, my name is Bart Simpson." Right there he had a problem. She's probably laugh in his face. "Hi, I'm Dr. Simpson from the diagnostic department." Maybe a little better.

He got off the elevator, still in a quandary. Madelaine and two other nurses stood at the desk, chatting and giggling. Madelaine, a woman of average height, but with lustrous blond hair and robins egg blue eyes, was by far the most beautiful of the three. He stood staring at her.

A woman's voice, deeper than most but with a slight sing-song quality, startled him out of his reverie. "Can I help you? Are you perhaps lost?"

He turned to a short woman with brown skin and nearly black eyes. "Oh, I'm … I'm looking for Jacob Briggs room. I'm Dr. Simpson from the diagnostics department."

"Yes, I know."

"You do?" His voice came out as a squeak.

She pointed to the badge on his white coat.

"Oh, yeah." He relaxed enough to smile. "Um, where can I find his room?"

"That hall, first door on the right." She smiled back. Her own badge identified her as Dr. Chatterji.

Simpson didn't move right away. "I understand you're in charge of his case."

She nodded.

"Can you tell me how he's doing? Do you have a diagnosis?"

Her eyes narrowed. "We can diagnose the patient ourselves. We don't need the diagnostics department to do it for us."

"I'm only asking as a friend of the family. I'm concerned about the boy."

Grudgingly, she answered his question. "It's not meningitis."

Simpson sighed. "Thank God."

"We're still narrowing it down, but he's stable for now and resting comfortably. We've administered a broad spectrum antibiotic."

"Thank you, doctor. Do you think I can see him?"

She seemed to consider his request then called Madelaine over to escort him to the room.

Simpson muttered to himself, "I can go by myself, but this will give me a chance to get to know Madelaine."

"Why do you want to see the patient?" Madelaine asked.

"He's the son of a friend of a friend."

"Right." She rolled her eyes. "Not poaching are you? Because Dr. Chatterji will never give this one up."

"Why not?"

"She's new, trying to prove her chops. Know what I mean?" Madelaine opened the door to Jacob's room. "Knock yourself out." She let him in and walked away, no doubt back to gossip with the other nurses.

Simpson approached the bed. "Hi Jacob."

"Are you my new doctor?" the boy asked.

Simpson wondered why everyone kept asking him that. He was here as a friend, and also because his new boss sent him, but mainly as an excuse to come to Pediatrics.

"No, I'm a friend of Dr. Cameron's and Dr. House's. They're both worried about you."

"I like your hair. It's almost like Bart Simpson's."

He laughed. "And the funny thing is that's my name too."

Jacob's eyes narrowed. "Are you joking?"

"Nope. Scout's honor." He held up three fingers. "I'm Dr. Bartholomew Simpson."

"Wow."

Simpson thought, at least I made one friend today.


	26. Chapter 26

The convention was good, but it's taken quite some time to catch up on all the stories I'm writing, not to mention the classes I'm facilitating and taking, and a workshop I'm in. Finally finished this one.

 **Chapter 26.**

"So how'd it go with Madelaine?" Magnani asked as soon as Simpson returned from Pediatrics. "Do you have a date for lunch with her?"

Simpson shook his head, as forlorn as ever. "She barely looked my way. Too busy gossiping with her friends."

"How's Jacob?" Jacobs asked.

"He's stable, but he has a bulldog of a doctor. Very protective of her position as his attending." Simpson sat with a thud. "Name's Chatterji."

"Chatterji? I heard about her. No nonsense, but gets the job done." Magnani shuffled the case files he'd been sorting as they looked for their next patient. "Let's see if we can come up with a case to present to Hadley before lunch."

* * *

House drove back to Shelby, deep in thought. He could have horned in on Jacob's case or even just stuck around the hospital, monitoring him, but something told him he didn't want to get in Dr. Chatterji's way. She seemed more than competent. He stopped at Hanbury Street to check out the situation. Will's folks hadn't started yet, but he saw the cop surveilling his property.

It was early for lunch, still he gravitated toward the diner anyway. He seemed to spend as much time there as anywhere. Perhaps he should have set up shop in his booth instead of buying the office house. He chuckled. Nah, the house would work out well. Already had tenants for the rest of the place, and some potentials for staffing his office. He never had followed up with Anita's forensics friend. That went on his mental list of to-dos for the next week.

The diner wasn't as busy as at mealtime, but it was never empty. Still, Linda came over to the booth immediately after he sat down. "Coffee?"

"Of course." While he waited, he looked out the window to the parking lot and the gas station. Hard to believe he'd only been in Shelby since June. A lot had happened since then. Now, he and Cameron were about to move into their own home, he was having an office renovated to open his own practice, and he was rarely alone any more. Was that a good or bad thing?

Case in point, Cameron arrived from the clinic for lunch. "Seems the flu is dying down. No new cases today," she said. "Did you see Jacob?"

"Yes and already locked horns with his doctor. But fear not." He held up his hands, palms toward her. "I promised I wouldn't try to muscle in on her."

They ordered their lunch, spaghetti for House and salad with grilled chicken for Cameron

"I certainly hope you keep that promise. If his doctor needs assistance, there are appropriate doctors to help."

He nodded. "Guess I'll give her a day or two before I sic Hadley on her."

They were still eating lunch when Anita breezed in. "Glad I caught you."

"Who me? Officer, I didn't do a thing." House raised his hands again.

Anita laughed. "Maybe caught wasn't the word I meant. I want you to come with me to give me an opinion on something."

"To do with my house? I'm eating lunch." He pointed his fork at his plate of spaghetti.

"That's okay. It can wait until you're finished. And no, it's not directly related to your house." She eyed his food. "Linda, can I have a plate of this?" she called to the waitress who had just served the next booth.

"Sure. Be right there."

* * *

Hadley watched her team sift through case files, trying to find a new patient. It was an ever repeating cycle. They'd finally agree on one that intrigued them, go through a set of tests, repeatedly hypothesize and guess, and finally realize the solution to the puzzle was staring them in the face all along. She smiled, thinking about all the times she was in their shoes. Now her stomach told her it was lunchtime.

The elevator was full as it always was at the noon hour. Doctors, nurses and interns headed to the cafeteria for lunch as she was. A familiar face appeared in the back of the crowd, one she hadn't thought she'd ever see again.

When they reached the floor and everyone exited the elevator en masse, she lingered so that he could catch up with her. "Foreman, what are you doing here?" They walked on together.

"I was consulted on Nora Meisner's case. Thought I'd check in to see how she was doing and whether they were ready to do her brain surgery."

"What about your job with Princeton General?" she asked.

"That was temporary, you know." He held the door to the cafeteria open for her.

"And PPTH?" She arched her eyebrows.

"They're rebuilding. If I don't get another position before it's done, Cuddy wants me back." He smiled.

"So, she's still in charge?" Hadley couldn't keep from frowning.

He nodded. "She considered an offer from a hospital in Pennsylvania, but decided PPTH was hers to do with as she pleased."

"And you're happy about that?"

They got in line for their food. "Let's just say, better the boss I know."

"I hope you're not angling for a position here." She took an egg salad sandwich.

"Why, because you want to keep this to yourself? Correction, yourself and Wilson?"

She waited for him to fill his tray with a sandwich, chips and a piece of pie. "Did you speak with House?"

"Yes." He pointed to an empty table nearby.

"So you know he left Snow Hill to start his own practice."

"Yes, although I don't understand why a nephrologist would do that." He put his tray down and sat.

"There are nephrology practices all over. The point is, he's a diagnostician. He's also certified in infectious diseases." She smiled. "And he's also going to be my landlord."

Foreman's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You and the cop?"

"So you know about Anita. Good. One less thing for me to tell you." She sat opposite him. "She's also former FBI."

"What you're saying is you're so over me, it's like it never happened, and I should leave you in peace. I get that." He bit into his sandwich and chewed.

"Guess that's what I'm saying." She bit down her smile.

"We had some good times."

She shook her head. "That was in the distant past."

They both ate the rest of their lunches without speaking, letting the din of voices swirl around them. When Wilson sat down, they both started.

"What? It was the only seat available," Wilson said.

"How's Nora doing? She wasn't in her room when I went up to see her." Foreman seemed happy to be onto a neutral subject.

"She's becoming stronger every day. I expect she'll be ready for the brain surgery in a month or six weeks." Wilson munched a fry.

"Foreman says they've started rebuilding PPTH, and Cuddy will be running it again." Hadley sipped her drink and waited for Wilson to respond. She was curious what he'd say.

The team passed nearby but didn't stop.

"Are you two and House content to stay here? Because there'll be openings once the place is operational again."

"Quite happy here," Hadley replied.

Foreman's head bobbed."Because you have your FBI turned cop girlfriend."

"Wilson has one, too. Girlfriend I mean."

Wilson laughed. "That's true. And as for House, well, he's even more settled in than the two of us."

"Yes, he told me about his new practice." Foreman scratched the back of his head. "Beats me why you'd want to live here rather than Princeton."

"We can do without the drama at PPTH." Wilson's beeper sounded. He looked at his unfinished food.

Hadley shooed him away. "Go. I'll box it up and have someone on my team bring it to you."

"Thanks, Hadley." Wilson took off for the cafeteria doors.

Hadley rose without a word and went to one of the kitchen staff to request the box. Once she had it, she filled it with the rest of the oncologist's burger and fries.

The team was walking by again. "That was a fast lunch," Hadley said. Jacobs chuckled. Hadley held out the box and drink to her. "Could you please bring this to Dr. Wilson's office?"

"Sure." Jacobs flashed a smile. "We still haven't found a case, so it's something to do."

Foreman stared at the three young doctors as they left. "Isn't that House's former team?"

"And my new team, yes. You're not the only one to inherit a crew from our fearless leader." She grinned then stood to leave. "Good seeing you again." She took her tray to the conveyor belt and left, while Foreman stared after her. Times had certainly changed Remy, Wilson and especially House.

* * *

Lunch over, House and Anita left the diner. Cameron had already gone back to the clinic. They drove in Anita's car, out to the dock.

House got out. "Why are we here?"

"You're an observant man, more so than most, so what do you see here?" She waved an arm.

"Several boats tied to the pier but as many more empty slips, an office building of sorts, that probably holds the dock master's office, a restaurant at the end. They serve the best crab cakes, by the way. Lots of wood planking. Couple of men fishing off the end of the pier. Is the man loitering closer to us one of yours?"

"Actually one of Anderson's, but yes, he's the cop surveilling the pier." She bit her lower lip. "Now, what don't you see?"

He glanced at her then back at the peaceful scene in front of him. He checked his watch. "Where are all the diners? There should be people leaving the restaurant after eating lunch."

"Exactly. I was here earlier when the restaurant should have been full, but no one was going that way, so I checked the doors. They're unlocked but the open sign isn't out and the lights are off."

House shrugged. "It's probably light enough inside from the sun."

"Maybe." She half-smiled. "You in the mood for some of those crab cakes you like?"

His lips twisted into a smile. "Lead the way."

The tap of his cane on the wood plank walkway was the loudest sound as they approached the door to the restaurant. Not sure what they would find inside, they pushed at the door together.

Silence except for the hum of the air conditioner greeted them at first, but then footsteps came from behind the bar area.

A slim man of medium height appeared. He asked in a quavering voice, "Can I help you?" He perspired despite the cool temperature. "I'm the manager here."

"Are you closed? We noticed there weren't any customers," Anita said.

"It's … it's almost one-thirty. Um, you just missed the lunch crowd."

They couldn't admit they'd been watching the place. "Must eat early here," House said.

The man smiled and his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Yeah. That's it."

"So we're too late for the crab cakes?"

"We're plum out," said the man, regaining his composure. "Sorry. You'll have to try again tomorrow."

"We'll come earlier next time." Anita turned to go.

House had one last question. "Are the cook and barman gone already too?"

"Um, yeah. They're gone."

House followed Anita out. When they were halfway down the walkway he asked, "What do you make of Mr. Manager?"

"Scared to death." Her mouth set in a grim line. "I wonder what this has to do with our missing teen vandals."

"Do you think they're hiding in the restaurant, holding the staff?"

She nodded.

* * *

Hadley's team was still looking for a case that interested them all and wasn't easily solved. As they examined the piles before them, they'd each roll their eyes and slap the file on the table, stating the diagnosis: chronic bronchitis, emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, botulism, and the common cold. Why the doctors in charge hadn't recognized the symptoms of such common ailments surprised them.

"Here's one. Night sweats and hunger in a fifty-five year old woman." Jacobs laughed. "Haven't doctors heard of menopause? Duh!"

"Or this one. Frequent broken bones in an eighty-five year old. Don't they do Dexa scans on their older patients?" Simpson put his head in his hands.

"Still no patient?" Hadley asked, entering and seeing the files strewn all over the table, each with a sticky note on it with their diagnosis.

"Unless you want us diagnosing each and every one in under an hour, no. This won't do," Simpson said.

Dr. Meisner appeared in the doorway. "If you still need a new case, I have one for you."

Magnani dropped the file he was holding. "Please."

"Dr. Cameron sent this one to the Pediatric department and the doctor in charge ruled out the preliminary diagnosis."

"You're talking about Jacob Briggs," Hadley said, suddenly more alert.

He nodded.

Simpson raised his eyebrows. "I thought Dr. Chatterji had Jacob's case under control."

"I'm afraid she hasn't. I gave her six hours. All she could do was stabilize the boy. Now we need a diagnosis. And fast. He's no longer stable for."


	27. Chapter 27

Next weekend is Bubonicon, the big science fiction and fantasy convention here that I'll be attending for the fifth time. We have a booth again. But this means I don't know when I'll have the next chapter finished.

 **Chapter 27.**

"Can Jacob be moved, or do you want us to examine him in Pediatrics?" Hadley asked Meisner. "We might need more tests, depending on what Chatterji did and the results."

"It might be best to leave him where he is." Meisner left them to it.

The team, including Hadley, raced to the elevator. Chatterji met them as they got off. "His b.p. is dropping."

"Have you done an echocardiagram? Is he allergic to anything?"

"I was hesitant to do anything else."

"Were you worried that what you'd been doing for him caused the drop in blood pressure?"

She nodded and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. This is my first difficult case."

"We've all felt that at one time or another," Jacobs said. "How does this relate to his other symptoms? Do you have his file handy?"

"I have it right here." She handed Jacob's file to Hadley.

"Let's see. Why did Cameron think it was meningitis?" She read the first couple of pages. "Glad you ruled that out."

Simpson read over her shoulder. "He presented with fever and vomiting, which could mean almost anything. But the headache and leg pain narrows it down." He frowned. "If it actually was meningitis, but even if it wasn't, the vomiting could dehydrate him."

"We've had a saline drip going since he was admitted," Chatterji said.

"Is there a rash?" Jacobs asked.

The pediatrician nodded.

* * *

Anita called in her suspicion to Anderson, who drove out to the pier to join them, bringing three of his cops.

"I hope you're right," Anderson said. "Come on men."

Anita took that to mean her, since his other three policemen included another woman. House stayed back, but not far. The cops barged into the restaurant and towards the kitchen area and the area behind the bar.

The slightly built manager came out with his hands up, as if to push them back. "You cannot come in here."

"Why not?" Anderson asked.

"Please. Leave now before … before something bad happens." Fear blazed from his eyes.

"Who's back there?" Anita took two steps toward him and pointed behind him.

"No one. No one's back there. It's just dangerous."

"To whom?" House faced him, hands on his cane, a steely look in his eyes."

"Please. I'm warning you. I don't want to be responsible for anyone becoming hurt."

Anderson sighed. "If someone is being held against their will or is in mortal danger, then you want us to go in there. You can stay here with the doctor. We'll call when we need the two of you."

The manager wrung his hands. He looked like he was about to collapse.

"Sit down. I don't need to be treating you for a heart attack if they need me in there to save a life."

The man dropped into a seat as House moved toward the bar. "Where are you going?"

"I'm getting you a glass of water." House brought it back to the table and urged the manager to sip it slowly. He could use something stronger himself, but now was not the time to indulge. "Now tell me what happened. Are any of your employees in the kitchen?"

He nodded. "The cook, a waitress and the barman. The rest left early when those thugs entered."

"The Peck's kid, Wilbur. Is he one of them?"

"Yeah. Him and his two friends."

"They've been accused of vandalizing several properties in Shelby. Guess they decided to hide out here."

"Why couldn't they have picked somewhere else? Peck's office for instance." The manager dropped his head to his hands. "If they hurt Nan or the other two… !

As if he willed it, Wilbur Peck back out of the kitchen, an arm holding a knife to a young waitress' neck. "You come after me, I'll slice her."

House had had enough of the vandal. The curved end of his cane shot out and knocked the knife away. Peck turned to him as House demanded, "Let her go."

The kid did just that and ran toward the restaurant's door, but a well-placed foot attached to a tall doctor tripped him and Wilbur went sprawling.

"We've got this one," House called to Anderson and Anita as he held the vandal down with his other foot.

The cops came out of the kitchen. Anderson had cuffed one of the kids and Anita the other. The chief was grinning. "If you ever want to give up medicine, give me a call," he told House.

* * *

Jessica paid her second visit of the day to the kittens and their mother. Tabby was finishing one of her frequent grooming jobs on the kittens. Once Jess and Wilson moved into their apartment, and it was deemed that the cat and kittens wouldn't interfere with any of the renovation of the building, they'd take her and one kitten home with them.

It would be time for Edna to take the tiger-striped female she'd claimed, but Jessica was unsure whether who would take the four remaining kittens in the near term. Anita and Hadley wanted one. The team did too, so theirs would go to their rental home.

Dr. Carter entered the room set aside for the cats. "I knew I'd find you here. Can't stay away from them, huh?"

"They're precious. But I guess you needed me for something."

"Yes. Large dog with a broken leg. And I mean a large dog. Need someone to help me hold him down while I work on him." Carter led the way to one of the exam rooms.

"When you said a large dog, I pictured a Lab or a collie, not a Great Dane." She smiled at the anxious owner, a slim young woman who couldn't possibly handle a dog this big.

"He's my grandfather's dog, but he asked me to bring him in. Had to carry him to and from the car, and he didn't cooperate."

"We'll take it from here," Jess said. "What's his name?"

"Lars. I know, not very imaginative for a Dane, but it's what Gramps picked when he got him."

"He's managed to break more than one bone in this foot. We'll have to set it, splint it and tape it up. He'll learn to walk on three legs for a while. Dogs are adaptable like that."

Between them, Carter and Jess held the dog steady on the table while they sedated him, then did what they could for the broken leg.

Jess thought about how much easier it was to deal with Tabby and her kittens.

* * *

Once Anderson and his other three cops marched the vandals off to jail, House retrieved his cane and walked down the dock with Anita.

"Thanks," she said. "I know Anderson already thanked you, but we couldn't have gotten them all without you."

"At least the waitress wasn't badly injured." He'd checked her neck and judged it unharmed.

"I wonder if she'll want to remain working here."

"Not our worry." House shrugged it off. He'd done his part.

Anita smiled. "Guess I'll head back to the station and find out what my boss wants me to do next. I'll drop you off back at the diner."

He had to pick up his car, but he didn't know what he'd do next. He'd done more already that day than many days in the last couple of months, so he could afford to take the rest of the day easy. But that wasn't to be. When he walked back into the diner, he was met by a terrible sight.

Linda knelt over the prone form of Pete Carver. "Doc, glad you're here. I thought I could get him to the clinic, but he's too heavy for me." The older man's eyes were closed.

House looked around. "Wish one of these chairs had wheels. Did you call 9-1-1?"

"Mo did. The paramedics should be here by now." Her face was as ashen as Pete's. "I thought he was all better. Didn't they say so?"

"I think this is something else, Linda." Without examining the man, House couldn't be sure, but he suspected something as sudden as a heart attack or stroke. The only consolation was that Pete was still breathing, although his breaths were shallow.

A siren pierced the air as the EMT's van pulled into the parking lot. House was acquainted with the young man and woman who entered carrying all sorts of equipment.

"I think you'll need a gurney," House said.

"Have you examined him?" The young woman was kneeling next to Pete and already had a b.p. cuff on him.

"I just got here myself."

Pete's eyelids lifted briefly and he muttered something.

"His speech is slurred." House asked Linda, "How long has he been unconscious?"

"Seems like a while, but probably no more than a few minutes."

"Probably a TIA, but we won't know for sure until they do a CT scan or MRI of his brain." The male paramedic returned to their van for the gurney, and together the two of them lifted Pete onto it. "We'll take him to Snow Hill for the tests."

"I'll follow you," House said and, for the second time that day, he headed for the hospital.

While he waited for the ER staff to examine Pete and arrange for him to be admitted, House called Cameron. Her phone went to voicemail, and he figured she was busy with a patient. His message was terse, at the hospital Pete suffered TIA will call later. He hoped she didn't drop everything and jump in her car to come join him. There was nothing she could do. The hospital staff could handle this. Couldn't they?

He paced the waiting room on the second floor as doctors and nurses examined Pete. The old man regained consciousness again, but House would wait until the staff had finished with him before going in to his room. What was taking them so long?

One of the residents who House knew by sight came to him. "Are you a relative, Dr. House?"

"Close friend." He knew he wouldn't be allowed to visit if he wasn't a relative, but as far as he knew, Pete didn't have any. "He has no family." How could he use the system to his advantage. "I examined him before the paramedics arrived. And I've been his personal doctor for some time." The last was stretching the truth, but if it would allow him to help with Pete's care, he'd take it.

"Does he have a history of heart attacks or strokes?"

House shook his head. "He underwent surgery for a growth on his back a few months ago, but his heart is strong. This looked like a TIA to me."

The resident nodded. "We're working on that assumption. A transient ischemic attack explains his symptoms and quick recovery. We'll make sure there isn't another TIA in the next twenty-four hours and also monitor him for after affects. Dr. Harding will allow you to visit with him but only for a short time."

* * *

After Anita's participation in the capture of the vandals, Anderson asked her to look into the case of home invasion in one of the buildings she and Hadley looked at when they were deciding where to live.

"With pleasure." She grinned, vowing to use the opportunity to annoy the women who'd looked at them with contempt. But when she got there, the elderly couple who'd suffered the home invasion greeted her with gratitude.

"I'll make some tea," Mrs. McCarthy insisted. "And then we can tell you what happened." With her fluffy white hair and pink cheeks, she reminded Anita of her maternal grandmother, who offered sustenance to anyone who stepped over her door sill.

Her husband held a chair out for Anita then sat across from her. "Hettie has to feed everyone."

Sure enough, Henrietta McCarthy brought out tea, crustless sandwiches cut in triangles and a sponge cake, made fresh that morning. The attack had obviously done nothing to curb her need to feed.

* * *

It wasn't until three in the afternoon before Cameron had a chance to check her emails and texts. Her heart fell to her stomach and she immediately called House. "How's Pete?" She realized how much the older man meant to House and to herself.

"He's recovering. They're keeping him overnight for tests and observation, but you know what he's like. He's demanding to leave. I think I convinced him he's better off letting the pretty nurses coddle him for once."

"I'll have someone drive me down there when I'm finished at the clinic. He's allowed visitors, isn't he?"

"As his doctor, they let me in, but as he gets better, they shouldn't object to friends visiting."

"Since when are you his doctor." She laughed, in part with relief that Pete was getting back to himself.

"I can come get you," he said. "I'll be there before five."

"Okay." She ended the call and retrieved her next patient, but her thoughts were with Pete.


	28. Chapter 28

Bubonicon was lots of fun even though they didn't have the tea on Sunday, and we didn't sell as much as in previous years. Here's the next chapter for you wonderful readers.

 **Chapter 28.**

House and Cameron entered Pete's room as he was finishing his dinner.

"They sure treat ya well here." Pete grinned. "A fella could get used to it."

"I don't think you want to, though." Cameron laughed. "You're not the type to lie around all day doing nothing."

"Well, yeah. Ya gotta point there. But fer a day or two, it's kinda nice."

Cameron stepped closer to the bed. "Pete, you are going to have slow down and eat better than you do if you want to avoid another mini-stroke."

"Is that what I had?" Pete shook his head. "Thought I was too fit fer somethin' like that."

"Sure, being fit helps, but as good as Mo's cooking is, you should be more careful what you eat of it." Cameron looked at House. She hoped he was listening and that he'd take his friend's condition as a wake-up call.

House winked. "Bet you can talk Linda into monitoring what you eat."

Cameron nodded. "She does care about you. I'll give her a list of foods you should be eating. Don't worry, I won't cut out all your favorites."

Pete's mouth twisted into a frown. "I was afraid someone would do that someday."

* * *

Dr. Chatterji hovered behind them as the team ran tests on Jacob. "Why are you doing an MRI?" she asked. "I already did a CT scan." She crossed her arms and watched.

"You were focused on seeing the bone structure, and we want to look at the tissue and bone marrow," Simpson replied. "The combination of what you found and what this test will reveal can tell us much more about his condition and what's affected by it."

Jacobs tried to mollify the pediatrician. "You proved he didn't have meningitis and that his lymph nodes were swollen. I think you were on the right track."

"It has to be an infection, but where?" Magnani asked.

"The rash is on his leg," Chatterji said. "I've cultured a piece to see what it is."

"Not completely useless," Simpson muttered, but she heard and bristled.

"And I expect you would have looked at him and said," she pointed a finger in the air, "Aha, it's the flu."

"It could be, you know." He smirked. "Listen, if you want to help, meet us in our conference room with your earlier results in half an hour. We should have the MRI to look at then too."

She looked at all the team members, nodded and left.

"She's okay, Bart." Jacobs' hands went to her hips. "Stop giving her a hard time."

Simpson frowned. "It's not any harder than she gave me when I went to see how Jacob was doing earlier in the day."

"But now we know her better."

* * *

"Hungry?" House asked as they left Pete's room.

"I know you are." Cameron snickered. "But I still want to check in on Jacob."

"We can eat here."

They headed for the cafeteria and were surprised to find Hadley eating a bowl of soup.

"Why haven't you gone home yet?" House asked.

"Because that's what you always did when your team was in the middle of a case?" She tilted her head to look up at him. "You probably didn't know that Meisner insisted we take over Jacob's case. Chatterji could only go so far with it. The team is meeting with her now to go over her results and an MRI they ordered."

"Is there a problem?" Cameron sat down, her eyes wide.

"His b.p. dropped suddenly earlier in the afternoon but came back up within minutes. I think she panicked when that happened, and so did Meisner."

"But he's stable now?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah. So what are you two doing here?" Hadley asked.

House didn't honey-coat it. "Pete had a TIA."

"Poor guy."

"He's almost completely recovered, but they've kept him overnight for observation." Cameron pointed to her food. "We decided to eat something then visit Pete again and then Jacob. Is he awake?"

"Yes. Heather volunteered to read him a story after the conference with Chatterji. I think his mother and sisters are with him now."

Cameron nodded. "That's good. Being in a hospital at that age can be a scary experience." She and House got in line but returned quickly with a salad for her and sandwich for him.

As Hadley left to get dessert, a woman entered the cafeteria. House called her over, "Dr. Chatterji. You can sit with us."

She looked at him with a frown, then her gaze swept the room. Almost every table was taken. She stopped near Cameron and looked at her quizzically. "I'll get my food and return."

The line was short so it wasn't long before she returned. Hadley had come back earlier with a fruit salad.

"Dr. Chatterji, this is Dr. Cameron," Hadley said, knowing House was introduction-deprived.

"You're the one who first examined Jacob Briggs." Chatterji might have sounded accusing, but she hadn't.

"Yes. His mother is the office manager at my clinic in Shelby." Cameron smiled. "I'm glad you proved it wasn't meningitis."

"Although it could be something worse." Chatterji pushed her salad around the plate. "I hope Dr. Hadley's team can diagnose him." She glanced Hadley's way.

Cameron nodded. "I hope so too."

"We will. And we hope you'll help, Dr. Chatterji." Hadley leaned toward the pediatrician. "You know better than we do what's normal for a child that age, and what isn't. You saw Jacob when he arrived at the hospital and you're following his progress."

"Of course I want what's best for the boy," Chatterji said.

* * *

With Hadley and the team still at the hospital, Anita had a quiet dinner with Wilson and Jessica.

"We captured the kids who were vandalizing the stores and House's building, not to mention hit you over the head, Jess." Anita smiled at her friend. "I didn't know whether you'd pressed charges, but it's your right to."

Jessica looked at Wilson, but he didn't say anything. It was her decision. "Yes, I should. They'll have to learn that they can't get away with what they did."

"They'd barricaded themselves in the restaurant at the end of the pier, holding a waitress and bartender hostage and forcing the manager to close at lunchtime." Anita sipped her iced tea. "I think he'll add his accusations to yours. Those teens are in for quite a bit of punishment."

Jessica nodded. "Where's Remy?"

"She and the team have taken over Jacob Briggs case. It'll be a late night for them all, I expect."

"Are House and Cameron at the hospital too?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, I understand that, besides Jacob, they're concerned about Pete Carver."

"Pete?"

Anita nodded. "He had a TIA, although I hear he's doing better already."

Wilson's eyes went wide. "Makes me wish I'd stayed on at the hospital tonight."

"If you want, we can go there after dinner," Jess said.

Wilson smiled. "No, if both of those cases, as well as my own, are under control, I guess I don't have to

be there."

After minutes of quiet eating, Anita said, "So how are the kittens doing?"

"They're ready to be separated from their mother, but we'll wait until we move into our apartment and the team is ready to take care of theirs. Meanwhile, they're all being kept together in the same room with Tabby."

"What about Mrs. McClellend's?" Anita asked.

Jess smiled. "She might take hers tomorrow."

* * *

After they ate, House and Cameron visited Pete first. He was sitting up and begging to be allowed to leave.

"Your doctor said tomorrow morning," said the nurse.

"Had enough of this place? I thought you said you wanted to take advantage of this, Pete." House pulled a chair close to the bed and sat on it backwards. "You have a pretty nurse. Let her pamper you. It's just overnight. Who knows? You might like it so much you won't want to leave."

"What'r ya talkin' about, House?"

Cameron smirked. "He's trying to tell you to sit back and enjoy being here tonight. Let the nurses take care of you." She pointed to House. "And he'll be here in the morning to take you home."

"Is she right?" Pete asked House.

"Something like that." House smiled. "Yeah, I'll come get you in the morning. Then you can come back with me to the diner for a second breakfast."

"What did you say earlier 'bout the foods I eat?"

"I said we'd work with Linda to make sure you eat well." Cameron winked. "You won't mind, will you?"

"Nah." Pete laughed. "Okay, see ya in the mornin'."

"Good-night Pete."

They left his room and went straight to Jacob's. Naomi and the girls were still there. "As long as the docs say he isn't contagious, we'll spend as much time with him as we can."

But Jacob was sleeping. Hannah sat cross-legged on the floor with Sarah in her lap and was reading her little sister a story in a quiet voice.

"I can get another chair, Hannah." Cameron pointed to the door.

"I'm fine. So's Sarah, aren't you, toothless?"

Sarah grinned displaying the gap where two baby teeth used to be.

"Have you eaten?" Cameron asked.

"The blond doctor, Jessica's brother, brought us sandwiches from the cafeteria."

"Bart," Cameron and Hannah said simultaneously.

Naomi laughed. "Don't know why I have such a hard time remembering his name."

Cameron laughed with her, but Hannah said, "Oh, Mom!"

Meanwhile, House studied the boys vitals, wishing he had his chart. He'd diagnose him in a minute. He slipped out as the women talked and went to the nurse's station. A cute young nurse sat there. "Can I help you?"

"My team is consulting on Jacob Briggs. I wanted to see his latest test results."

"Oh." She stood and opened a file drawer. "There's a note here that the team has those." She looked at him through suddenly narrowed eyes. "And you are?"

He flashed a smile and scampered off as fast as a man with a bum leg could. When he entered Jacob's room again, Cameron and Naomi were still chatting.

"Where'd you go?" Cameron asked.

"Ready to leave?" he countered.

She shook her head, said good-night to Naomi, Hannah and Sarah, and walked to the door.

* * *

Anita was putting the finishing touch-up paint on a kitchen wall when Hadley finally arrived at the apartment. "Long day?"

Hadley just nodded and dropped into a chair.

Anita brought her a cold can of soda and sat too.

"What about you? I heard you caught the bad guys."

"With a bit of help from our landlord." Anita removed the nitrile gloves on her hands. "It did feel good to resolve my first case on the force here. How's Jacob?"

"He's stable. We still don't know for certain what caused his symptoms, but the broad-spectrum antibiotic we put him on is helping." Hadley gulped her drink. "At least his temperature is down."

"You don't have to do anything here tonight. Let me get cleaned up and we can go back to the motel room."

"I don't think I can lift so much as a sponge."

Anita hammered the top of the paint can closed, rinsed her hands in the kitchen sink, and removed the old college sweatshirt she was wearing, changing into her blouse again. By then, Hadley finished her soda.

They closed the door on their new home and locked it, then left through the side door of the house and locked that. "No taking chances even though we caught the vandals," Anita said.

* * *

"I passed that pediatric nurse three times today without her giving me even one glance," Simpson complained. The team was relaxing in their living room that evening.

"I talked to her," said Magnani. He shook his head. "She's not worth worrying over. I'd set my sights elsewhere, Bud."

"Bart, Rocco's right. There are nicer nurses in a few other departments," Jacobs said. "At least Chatterji has turned out to be someone we can work with."

"Not to change the subject, but what do you think is wrong with Jacob?" Magnani asked.

"Could be some sort of exotic infectious disease. One that isn't passed on to anyone else by casual contact."

"Where would a kid in Maryland pick up something like that?"

Simpson shrugged. "Just trying to think outside the box."

"Outside the box would be to say he isn't sick at all, just runs fevers and develops rashes for no reason."

"Maybe he got it from something he ate," Magnani said. "Some sort of intestinal bug that's manifesting in strange ways."

"Anything he ate should have cleared his system by now, shouldn't it?" Simpson asked.

"Unless it's a parasite. Hmmm." Jacobs pulled down a few text books.

"What do you think she's thinking?" Simpson asked Magnani, but Magnani shook his head.

Jacobs rejoined Magnani on the couch and showed him a page in a book.

Simpson came over and looked at it too. He shook his head. "He hasn't been to Central America or Africa. There aren't any black flies in New Jersey that carry Mansonellosis."

"But the symptoms match. It explains the skin rash, fever and weakness. We should look at a blood sample and one from the rash, search for microfilariae. If it's not this parasite, it can be another one. Let's find out what it is, then find out how he picked it up."


	29. Chapter 29

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments on the last chapter. Here's another one for all of you.

 **Chapter 29.**

In the morning, the team rushed to the hospital, without stopping for breakfast. A quick cup of coffee at home and they were off.

Jacob was awake when they entered his room.

"We're going to have to take some more samples to study. Remember how we did it last time?" Magnani asked.

The boy nodded. "It hurt a little, but then that went away. What are you looking for?"

Simpson stepped closer. "We think you may have some kind of parasite living just under your skin."

"Yuck. Can you get it out?"

"First we have to find out what it is. Then we change your treatment based on what we find."

"Okay." Jacob clutched the blanket in one hand and squeezed his eyes shut as they took their samples.

"All done." Magnani smiled at him. "We'll come back later and tell you what we find."

"Will you have pictures? I wanna see what it looks like." He'd obviously gotten over the thought that parasites are yucky.

They laughed, and Simpson said, "Sure thing."

HHH

House stopped for breakfast before he left to pick up Pete at the hospital. "He won't be discharged for a while anyway," he told the few people who showed up at the diner that morning.

Hadley, Anita, Wilson and Jessica smirked.

"I don't know where the team is," Hadley said. "No one told me what they're up to."

"You'll find out soon enough." Cameron frowned. "I hope they've come up with a diagnosis for Jacob."

"Naomi must be very worried," Jessica said. "Once he's well again, I'd like to offer them one of the kittens."

"Haven't you found homes for all of them yet?" Cameron was surprised.

"Mrs. McClelland gets one, we get one and Remy and Anita do too. The team has been too busy to pick theirs out, and once the house is occupied, Tabby can be returned there. That leaves two more."

"Oh." Cameron's face had a thoughtful look.

House noticed. "It's one thing having Tabby wandering in and out of my office during the day, not to mention everyone else's kittens. We are not taking one of them for our home."

Cameron sighed. "You're probably right."

"Why not?" Wilson asked.

"Because we'd have to feed it and play with it."

"So?" Wilson dared. "What's wrong with that?"

"Don't encourage Cameron." House frowned.

She opened her mouth as if to object, but closed it quickly.

"At least come by and see them," Jessica said. "They're so cute."

"Cute is overrated."

HHH

After breakfast, Cameron walked over to the clinic. She didn't expect to see Naomi there, but was surprised that Naomi's chair was filled by its former occupant.

"Naomi called me because she felt bad that she couldn't come here today," Carol said. Baby Bryan was asleep in a child carrier on one side of the desk. "I sure hope Jacob recovers soon."

"Thanks for coming in." Cameron reached down to hug her.

"No problem. As long as my bambino sleeps, I can get a lot done. When he's awake, well that's another story, but we'll deal with it when the time comes."

"He's cuter than ever." Cameron brushed a hair off the baby's forehead.

"Thanks. I figure I can take this time to get back into the groove for when I return full-time." She shifted a few files on her desk. "I guess Naomi will work for Dr. House's new practice."

"That's the plan."

Carol looked around the room. "Looks like she's done a great job keeping up here."

"Yes. She took everything you taught her to heart."

Their conversation was interrupted by the first patient of the day, a toddler with his mother. "He's crying for no apparent reason and hitting the sides of his head," his frazzled mother said.

"Bring him inside. I'll look at his ears."

HHH

"Have you found homes for all the kittens?" Dr. Carter asked Jess when she arrived at the veterinary clinic.

"Most of them. I've had suggestions of other people who might take one, but haven't talked to them yet." She smiled at him. "You wouldn't want one, would you?" He already had two dogs and three cats at home.

"I'm full up. I hate to have to take animals to a shelter or stand in front of Attlee's asking shoppers to take one." He was referring to the grocery store in Shelby.

"I'll find homes for all of them, hopefully by the end of the day."

They called their first two patients, a dog and a bunny.

HHH

Cameron had already finished with her first three patients when Anna walked through the doorway.

"Anna, is something wrong?"

"No, I just came by to remind you that this evening you and the other candidates will be debating the extension of the streetlights along Harbor Road."

"Since my new home is all the way out on the road, I might have to recuse myself from participating. Is that the right word, recuse?"

Anna nodded. "Others living along the road but closer to the center of the town will be there to hear what you all have to say. They may look on you as someone who can argue their case."

"Which is?" Cameron narrowed her eyes.

"That the lights are needed for safety. You heard about the hooligans who vandalized businesses in town?"

"Yes. House's new office was damaged, and our friend Jess was attacked because she was there at the time." Cameron patted Anna hand. "The vandals were caught by Chief Anderson's newest recruit and House."

"Oh, I hadn't heard that." Anna smiled. "That's wonderful, but it doesn't change the fact that people need those lights to feel safe. It's a good effort to get behind."

Cameron offered her an empty patient seat and sat as well. "And what does the opposition, whoever they are, say?"

"That we've never had light pollution in Shelby and they don't want to start now. Allison, you and House will be living out along that road soon, not another house around. Don't you want street lights?"

"Long as they don't shine in my bedroom window." She chuckled. "That was a joke. There's plenty of light out there at night from the nearby factory and even the pier. But I get your argument."

"Good. So you'll be there?"

"Where is it? What time?" Cameron grabbed a prescription pad and wrote the information down, thinking she'd have to let House know.

HHH

House arrived in Pete's room in time to see him flirting with his nurse. She turned to House and asked, "Are you his ride?"

He smiled and crossed his arms. "Yeah, but don't let me stop what's going on here." He leaned against the wall nearest the door.

"I wuz jes' tellin' Mollie here, maybe she'd wanna come to Shelby and work fer you." Pete turned to the nurse with a smile. "This here's the doc I tol' you about."

Mollie smiled at House. "We're just shooting the breeze and waiting for the last instructions from the doctor." She was middle-aged, slim and attractive. "Didn't you used to work here? Weren't you happy with Mercy? I like it here."

House surprised himself by replying. "Working here was great, but I've never worked for myself and thought I'd give it a try."

A doctor House recognized as Sid Layton breezed into the room and handed papers to Pete. "Here are your instructions. "Now, I know you needn't be told to get exercise. You're fit for a man in his early eighties, but you have to watch the fats and carbs, got it?"

"What, like potatoes?"

"There's a list in your instructions." Layton pointed.

"You can give it to Linda," House said. "That way Mo can adjust your food."

Pete nodded. "You goin' on this diet thing with me?"

"It isn't so much of a diet as a way of eating, a way of life," the other doctor explained.

House watched, resting both hands on his cane. "What he means is this is how you'll have to eat the rest of your life."

"Well, if'n Mo can make it taste good, I don't care." Pete started to scoot off the bed.

"Wo, there, pardner," House said. "They have to bring a wheelchair for you."

"Sez who?" Pete sneered.

"Hospital rules, I'm afraid."

An orderly appeared pushing a wheelchair.

"I can take it from here." House hung his cane on the chair and moved it closer to the bed. Dr. Layton helped Pete into the seat. House grabbed the release forms and wheeled Pete out. "Time to make our escape." He sped through the hospital holding onto the wheelchair as much as pushing it.

HHH

Foreman searched for Hadley in her office, but she wasn't there. Her team wasn't either. Then he remembered. They had a patient in pediatrics. On his way up in the elevator he tried to remember the kid's name. "Jacob, right." He smiled, got out and went directly to the nurse's station. A group chatted behind the desk.

"I hate to disturb you," he said, disturbing them. "but can someone point me to Jacob's room?"

They stared at him, the black skin and the white coat. One smiled scornfully. "He sure has a lot of doctors visiting. Or are you another consultant?"

Another one was skeptical, "I haven't seen you around here before. What department are you in?"

"Room number please," Foreman demanded.

Finally, the slimmest and youngest-looking of them led him to the door then returned to her friends. Inside, the team members were discussing their findings with Hadley and another female doctor.

Hadley turned to him. "Foreman, no need for a neurologist."

"I was looking for you. Got a minute?" He indicated the door with his head.

She looked upward and grimaced. "Excuse me. I'll be right back." She followed Foreman out and faced him in the hallway. "What is it?"

"Cuddy wants me to offer you a job at PPTH when it reopens. I told her, you'd say know."

"And that's exactly what I said yesterday and will continue to say." Hadley crossed her arms.

He held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just the messenger."

"How can you work for that woman?" she asked. "Tell her I have a life here and won't leave it. I have a great position at this hospital and people I care about and who care about me."

He smiled. "I've met your new love. She seems great."

"You sound surprised. Don't be."

He ran a hand over his hair, even though it was too short to need it. "Sorry, that didn't come out right. I meant I'm happy for you."

The other doctor came out of the room and said, "Dr. Hadley, we need you in here." She gave Foreman a withering look.

Hadley reentered Jacob's room to find his temperature had risen again.

"The meds we're giving him aren't working," Magnani said.

"So, it's not a parasite."

Jacobs shook her head. "Or, at least not the one the parasitic medication targets."

"Try one more. If that doesn't work, we're back to square one."

Foreman stood in the doorway watching Hadley at work, then turn and left.

HHH

Wilson stopped in Nora's room between patients. He enjoyed talking to her. "How is your morning going?"

She smiled. "Better now that you're here. You can't imagine how boring it can get confined to a bed twenty-four/seven."

"Oh, I know from experience." He moved a chair close to her bed and sat. "Remember, I had surgery not long ago after I was injured in an explosion. Weeks in the hospital and with restricted action got to me after a while."

"Was your girlfriend there?" Nora asked.

"Jess? She was wonderful letting me pace myself, but patience was never my strong suit."

Nora smoothed her blanket. "I imagine I'll be bedridden for months more."

"I understand they're planning the neurosurgery for next week. What did Dr. Foreman tell you when he was here?"

"Yes, that's what he said. He has to return to New Jersey, but he'll be back Wednesday, I believe, and he and my doctor will perform the surgery Thursday morning."

"After that it's all uphill. Nora, if there's anything I can do to make this more pleasant for … you know, I think there is. House told me about a garden or something?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, on the fourth floor. It's a place they take chronic patients to get fresh air."

"Then that's where I'll take you. Every afternoon at three-thirty."


	30. Chapter 30

We'll be out of town from Friday to Wednesday, so I won't be able to post next week. Meanwilile here's another chapter.

 **Chapter 30.**

The team tried several antiparasitics without success. Jacob was stable and under close observation, but it would be better if they could cure him.

"There are so many parasites, even after you discount the ones that are never seen in this country," Chatterji said. "You've tried all the meds approved by the FDA. What about the ones still in trials? Can we get Jacob into one of those?"

That was close enough to something House would do, Hadley immediately said yes. "I'll call around and find out who's doing trials on a new antiparasitic."

"I have an idea," Jacobs said. "When I was reading up on parasites, I noticed that for some, a combination of antiparasitics worked much better than just one."

"So we can try them in different combinations," Chatterji said.

Simpson shook his head. "That'll take too long. Do you realize how many there are? If my math hasn't deserted me, it'll take sixteen days to try all the combinations of two."

Magnani had been calculating. "More like twenty-two. And if we try more than two at a time, it might be too much for Jacob's system to tolerate."

"Did any have an effect at all?"

"Three. That's doable, if we limit it to those three, it'll be three days."

"What are we waiting for? Let's do it."

HHH

House brought Pete to the diner as promised. He handed Linda the sheet the doctor gave him. "He's on this diet from now on. Mo can improvise."

"Sure 'nuf. How ya feelin', Pete?"

Pete scratched an ear. "Well, I'll tell ya. Better'n yesterday. But I'm mighty hungry. Ask Mo to rustle up some of her chicken friend steak and French fries."

"Uh-uh." Linda tapped the list. "Don't see that on here. How 'bout a grilled piece of chicken or steak with that cold slaw you like so well?"

"Only if the doc here has the same."

House would have preferred Pete's request, but food was food, and he was hungry too. "Sure. I can go for a strip steak, medium rare, and the cole slaw."

"Now we're talkin'." Linda rushed the orders to the kitchen.

"Thought this was gonna be breakfast," Pete said.

"That was the plan, but who could pass up an extra lunch at Mo's?" House leaned back and smiled. "You stick with this food and you'll be fine."

"Wish you hadn'a said that." Pete scowled. "Ya wanna jinx me?"

Linda returned from the kitchen with a plate for each of them. They didn't have all the grease they used to eat, but when House bit into the steak, he said, "Now this is good."

"Mo doesn't have a problem with preparin' food for you this way in the future, Pete. Fact is, she's thinkin' of havin' a special page of dishes based on your list from the doctor." She turned back to the counter to get a pot of coffee and fill their mugs.

"See what you started?" House teased. "Soon we'll all be eating like Cameron and Jacobs."

"Eat lots of salads, do they?" Pete was already halfway through his food, as if he hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Too many from my viewpoint. Need something solid like this steak." House thought about that for a minute, then called Linda back. "Why doesn't Mo have a salad with strips of steak on it instead of fried chicken tenders?"

"I seen that on menus at other restaurants," Pete said.

Linda smirked. "When do you eat at other restaurants?"

They laughed. Pete was doing well.

House and Pete were still sitting and talking when Mortimer, the lab tech walked in. He smiled and walked toward them.

"Have a seat," House said.

He nodded. "I came to talk to you about when you need me to set up your lab, but also to have an early lunch. On my way to Virginia Beach for a long weekend."

"They're starting the major renovations of the house on Monday, but you can have a look today. I'll go with you so you can tell us what you'll want in the way of plumbing and electrical connections."

"Great." He got Linda's attention and she gave him a menu. "This place is supposed to be one of the best in town."

Forty-five minutes later he was ready to join those raving about the place. "This was the best ravioli I've ever had, even in Italian restaurants."

House smiled. "Want some pie before we head off to the house?"

"I'm coming with you two," Pete said. "But not before I have a piece of pie."

Linda, who'd just showed up to ask for dessert orders, wagged a finger at him. "No pie for you, mister. How about a baked apple instead? It tastes better than jello."

"Sounds good to me," House said. "How about it Pete?"

"Sure. With cinnamon and sugar on top?"

"Of course."

HHH

Cameron decided it was nice having Carol back, although she missed some things that Naomi did, like asking about what she did for each patient and making sure there was always coffee in the waiting room. Having the baby around added something to the day. She'd told House innumerable times that she didn't want a baby, but it was fun to be able to play with this one and then not have to worry about waking up at odd hours to feed him and being responsible for his well-being.

Still, when a mother brought in her six-year-old with a cough and fever, the danger of Bryan being exposed to any number of contagious diseases forced Cameron to think twice. After they left, she told Carol, "I hope you'll be able to arrange care for him in the future so he's protected from all the germs circulating in here."

"Actually, my sister-in-law, Sharon, offered to take care of him. She works from home, so it won't be difficult to do. But today she had a meeting to attend in Snow Hill."

Cameron liked Sharon Davis and thought she'd be a perfect person for the job. "With Seth working for Will, I guess you've gotten close to him and Sharon."

"Yes." Carol picked up Bryan who'd started to fuss. "Seth says your house is done."

Cameron beamed. She never hesitated to talk about the house. "We move in next week. All of our furniture that's been in storage will arrive then."

"That's great." Carol beamed.

"We'll have a party out there once we're settled in, maybe in a couple of weeks, and of course, you'll be invited."

"Oh, sounds like fun. Thanks." Carol looked around the office. No patients waited for Cameron. "So, what did I miss while I was away?"

"We had way too many flu patients, especially after many of them had received the flu shot, but it turned out the vaccine was defective. That was all part of problems at Marshall Pharmaceuticals."

Carol's eyes went wide. "Was Mr. Marshall involved?"

"No, just some employees at both the labs and plant. It's all straightened out now."

Carol nodded as she shifted the baby from one shoulder to another. "And, of course, Dr. House bought that House on Hanbury."

"Yes. Is Seth part of the team renovating it?"

"That's how I knew as much as I do. Is it true he rented the upper floors to Dr. Wilson and Jessica, and Dr. Hadley and her friend?"

"Yes. They'll all be living there. I expect we'll hear all about how that goes." Cameron chuckled.

A patient arrived, and the conversation ended for the time being.

Just before lunchtime, Jessica showed up with three of the kittens in tow. Carol gushed over them. "They're precious. Honestly, if Bryan was older, I'd take one in a heartbeat."

"We're trying to see how they'll do away from their mother. And she has to get used to being alone again, although at least two of them will live at the house with us and her."

Cameron and a woman came out of the exam room. The patient glanced at the kittens but showed no interest whatsoever.

"I thought I'd ask Mo if she wanted one around the diner," Jessica said.

"Good idea. But if you'll give me another day, I'll give one more shot at convincing House to take one for our house. Last time I asked, he said he'd be dodging enough cats at his office every day. He didn't need one at home too." She did such a good imitation of House that they all laughed.

The waiting room was empty, so Cameron walked to the diner with Jessica and the basket of kittens. She grinned when she saw Pete sitting with House and a man she remembered as Mortimer, the chemist who worked in Marshall's lab.

While Jessica went in search of Mo, Cameron carried the basket to the table. "Jess is asking Mo if she'd like one of these." She petted one.

"Still don't want one," House said.

Cameron smirked. "How 'bout you, Pete? Ever had a pet?"

"They're cute and all that. But they'd eat all the fish I catch."

Everyone laughed.

"I'm taking Mortimer to check what he thinks I need for a lab at the office."

"Good. He's certainly had the experience to decide."

Jessica approached with Mo in tow. The owner and cook at the diner seldom left her kitchen. "Mo wants to pick out one of the kittens."

"Which one is already taken?" Mo asked. "You said there were only two to choose from."

"The reddish one is ours," Jess replied.

Mo looked at the almost-all black one and the tortoise shell. She picked up the tortoise shell kitten. "Will you be a good mouser?" she asked it.

The kitten just looked at her.

"Definitely this one." Mo held the kitten closer. "I think I'll call her Dinah."

"As in "Someone's in the Kitchen With?" Pete asked.

Cameron, Mortimer and Jessica looked puzzled.

"It's an old song." Carrying Dinah, Mo turned back to the kitchen. "I'll find you a saucer of milk, why don't I."

Cameron smiled watching them. "Guess you made a sale."

Jessica nodded. "Only one to go."

House looked at Mortimer. "Their mother lives at the house where my office is, and two of my tenants each have a kitten, so don't go thinking of bringing the last one to the lab."

HHH

A half hour later, House, Pete and Mortimer left Cameron and Jessica at the diner and drove to Hanbury Street. Will and his crew were doing preliminary work on the first floor of the building.

"How's it going?" Mortimer asked.

Will replied, "Not bad. You the lab guy?" He held out a hand.

Moritmer shook it. "Yeah. Where will the lab go?"

"You tell me. We can put it right next to the exam rooms or over in this section." Will indicated the corner between the front door and the side door.

"Here will be best." Mortimer nodded at the corner. "I'll need plumbing, lots of plumbing. And electric too. At least thirty amps of service just for the lab.

"So you'll have sinks?"

"Yes, one deep one, and the other the usual depth but wide." Mortimer held his hands about eighteen inches apart. "Maybe even wider than that. I doubt any home building supply place will have what I need."

"Isn't there a place that carries lab equipment?"

"Yes in Salisbury. I'll take a trip up there on Monday."

While they talked about outfitting the lab, House took Pete on a tour of the first floor.

"I remember the dental office here." Pete tapped the right side of his mouth and grimaced. "Guess it'll be your examination room."

"Yes, and we'll use the old waiting room, but widen it and update the furniture. Now, my office. The dentist's office was way too small. Gonna make it much bigger."

Pete nodded.

"Probably add a second exam room too." House looked around picturing it all in his mind. "All I'll need are patients."

HHH

Cameron left the diner soon after House, Pete and Mortimer. She wanted to finish with patients a little early so she could eat something before the debate. Or maybe she'd be better off if she waited until after. She'd decide when the time came.

She'd talked to groups before, mainly ones who saw the town's future the way she did, but this would be a mixed crowd, with all sorts of opinions.

"What's wrong?" Carol asked when she entered the clinic waiting room.

"I don't know what to expect at the debate tonight."

"Take it from me. Be yourself. People see through the phonies who support one way of thinking to get elected and then show their true colors."

"Well, I know one topic that'll come up, but I don't know what else people are talking about." Cameron shook her head. "If they bring up something I know nothing about, how can I form an opinion on the spot?"

"Chances are, if you don't know anything about something, neither do the other candidates."


	31. Chapter 31

We had a great trip and as I expected, I had no time to write. This is what I wrote after we returned.

 **Chapter 31.**

By mid-afternoon, the team and Chatterji had found a combination of antiparasitics that worked for Jacob. The smile on his face and those of his mother and sisters reinforced their feeling of accomplishment.

"Will you join us in a celebration this evening, Dr. Chatterji?" Magnani asked as they left the Briggs in Jacob's room.

"Please, call me Anaya." She beamed. "I'll be very happy to." Then she bit her lip.

"We can go to that club you've been talking about." Simpson frowned. "What was the name of it?"

"The Blue Moon. Yes, let's go there." Jacobs turned to Chatterji. "It's here in Snow Hill. Do you live here in town?"

"Yes, not far from this hospital. I could meet you there."

They set a time to meet, and Chatterji watched them go. She liked Jacobs and Magnani, but she still wasn't sure about Bart Simpson.

After grabbing supper in the cafeteria, the team members changed into clothing they kept in their lockers at the hospital. They arrived at the club at the appointed time, but Chatterji wasn't there.

At seven fifteen she came rushing to them. "Sorry, I'm so late, but I had to take a call just before I left my apartment."

"That's all right," Jacobs said, but Simpson glowered.

"Let's go in." Magnani pulled the door open for them.

The place was crowded and noisy. Above the cacophony of voices, a band was playing a version of "Girls Like You."

They waited for a group to vacate a table and sat. "I'll bring over beer unless anyone wants something else." Simpson looked around the table, but no one objected.

Belatedly, Magnani shot up and rushed to catch up with him, saying, "I'll give you a hand."

"What, don't think I can carry a tray with four beers on it?"

"No. I wanted to tell you, now's your chance. Chatterji a real catch. You'd be daft not to make a play for her."

Simpson shook his head. "She doesn't like me. And anyway, she's not my type."

"What, vacuous blonds that are more interested in their own appearance than you?" Magnani pursed his lips. "She's smart, pretty in an exotic way and she even drinks beer."

Simpson stared at him briefly, but before he said anything else, the bartender asked, "What'll it be?"

Simpson returned to the matter at hand. "Four beers. Make it the best you have on draft," he added.

"Now who's the big spender?" Magnani joked.

"Gotta treat the ladies right."

"Amen to that."

* * *

Cameron wondered how many people would show up for the debate that evening. It hadn't been heavily advertised on the local radio station or in the paper. But those announcements spread by social media more and more. _I should probably have posted somewhere_. _Time to start a blog. But what would I write about?_

When Carol alerted her to the next patient, and before she took the teenager into the exam room, she asked Carol, "Do you have a blog?" At her nod, she added, "What do you write about?"

Carol shrugged. "Sometimes about Bryan, with pictures, of course, and sometimes about the latest recipe I tried. If you want help getting started, we can work on it later."

"First I have to do some research for the debate tonight, but yes, I'd love your help." Cameron ushered the teen in. "How can I help you today, Shauna?"

The tall girl moved her shoulder back and forth. "I think I pulled something playing basketball, but if I tell coach, he won't let me play."

"Let me see." Cameron prodded all around the shoulder and down the arm, eliciting multiple cries from Shauna. "Looks like you overextended a few muscles. I'll give you some exercises to ease the pain and allow those muscles to heal. Have you tried ice or heat on the areas?"

"A hot shower usually helps." Shauna said. "I've been afraid to try any of those over-the-counter remedies."

"I'd suggest a heating pad. And let the muscles rest. I know you want to play, but it's better for you to let this heal. If you use it in a game, you'll likely re-injure it."

She sent the teen off with advice to take Ibuprofen four times a day for three days. No one else waited for her, so she withdrew to her office and her computer to check what the local news had to say were the hot issues in the town that week.

* * *

When House arrived at the diner for dinner, he found Cameron already there. "Why so early?"

"Tonight's the great debate among the candidates for the town council. Seven o'clock, but I want to be there earlier." She took a bite of her salad. Pointing her fork, she said, "I have to eat something, but not so much that I'm sluggish."

"Right. Any excuse to eat green things," House scoffed.

Ignoring him, Cameron added, "I understand one of the topics will be extending the lights out Harbor Road. What do you think?"

"Would they extend as far as our lane?" he countered.

She shrugged. "I expect so. Maybe even to the pier."

"Don't we already have enough light pollution out there from the drug factory?"

"It might deter any remaining vandals from the plant. Maybe if there'd been lights out there, they wouldn't have damaged our house or fought with Will's men."

House scratched the back of his head. "You're the one running. You decide how you feel about the issue."

"But I respect you're considered opinion." She smiled. "I disagree with you upon occasion, but that doesn't mean I can't hear what you have to say."

"It's more important to know what the majority of citizens say, not just a newcomer like me."

Cameron thought that over. "You're right. I'm just so used to you giving your opinion about every little thing, I had to ask." She sighed. "I guess I'll go with my gut. Speaking of which, I've had enough of my green things. What I need is one of Mo's burgers, the smaller size, of course."

He smiled. "That's my girl."

* * *

The debate took place in the high school auditorium. The room that could seat six hundred students at a time was only half full.

"Guess most of the citizens of Shelby aren't interested," Cameron told Will who sat next to her.

"Or they already made up their minds." He was running for Mayor rather than just a board seat, but the other mayoral candidate, a lawyer named Enright, was taking this opportunity to speak his mind, so Will was too.

Pamela called the debate to order and explained how it would run, including pre-set questions for each of the people to respond to and time for questions from the audience. "Everyone ready?" She looked first at the candidates and then at the audience, which included current board members such as Anna and Owen, as well as House, Wilson and Jessica. "Then let's start. First I'll introduce our candidates. For the town council, in alphabetical order, we have Dr. Allison Cameron," Pamela motioned an up movement and Cameron stood, as did each of the others as they were named. "Mr. Samuel Garcia, Miss Sheila Johanson, Mr. Frank Overton, and Mr. Duncan Walters. Running for Mayor, we have Will Davis and Otto Robertson. I'll ask a question and you'll all have an opportunity to answer. If you have no reply, say so. First question, should we change the school year to twelve months from the current ten months? Let's star with you, Dr. Cameron."

"I believe that's up to the school board, not the town council. We can make a recommendation, I believe, giving reasons for the change." Cameron tilted her head. "The question is whether it's better for the students."

"I disagree." Frank Overton stood without being recognized by Pamela.

"Sit down, Mr. Overton. You'll have your turn." Pamela's mouth was a firm line. "Dr. Cameron, anything else?"

"I don't have children in the school system, so I can't form an opinion."

"Mr. Garcia?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Bradford. I do have children in school here in town. They like the long summer vacation, and as I remember, I did too as a boy." He smiled and stroked his black mustache. "Besides, it's difficult to plan family vacations with differing schedules."

"Miss Johanson, you're next."

"Well, I, um, like Dr. Cameron said, it's up to the school board. Otherwise, I have no opinion."

Overton bounced out of his chair before he was called. "Keeping the schools open in the summer means air conditioning them which in turn means spending more money. We have to find ways to cut the school budget and a twelve-month school year is not it."

"So you object on financial grounds?" Pamela asked. "But that doesn't disagree with what Dr. Cameron or Mr. Garcia said." Pamela turned to the fourth candidate for the board. "You haven't given your opinion Mr. Walters."

Walters looked like he couldn't believe she wanted him to speak. "Well, um…" He looked at the other candidates and the audience then smiled. "I agree with Dr. Cameron and Mr. Garcia." He swallowed loudly.

Next, the candidates for mayor spoke. Will thought the students would be better off with the current schedule but was open to arguments on both sides. Otto Robertson sneered at them all but agreed with Overton. "We need a reduced budget in this town, including money for the schools."

"Let's move on to the street light question. The current council proposed we extend the town's street lights past the high school all the way out Harbor Road, perhaps to the pier on Chesapeake Bay. If you were asked to vote on this issue today, how would you vote and why?" Pamela turned to Garcia first.

"I'll need a moment to think about this one."

Pamela raised an eyebrow and called on Overton instead.

As before, he was ready with an answer. "Streetlights cost money and even more to install. It means running electricity too. I vote nay."

Cameron raised a hand.

"Dr. Cameron?" Pamela said.

"There's already electricity out there, so that's a moot point. I think the real issue may be whether the town should pay for the lights or those who live along that road. As a taxpayer who will be living there, I'd like to have the way lit and would be willing to pay for it. But it doesn't only benefit those who live out that way. Lights would make it safer to drive out to the pier at night. For those reasons, I think the town should share the cost with those who live on Harbor Road."

"Thank you. Miss Johnson, what do you have to add?" Pamela asked.

"Nothing, I guess. Dr. Cameron said it very well."

"Do you live along Harbor Rd.?" Overton smirked at her.

"No, but what does that have to do with it?" Miss Johnson replied.

Will raised his hand.

"Mr. Davis, what would you like to say?"

"I particularly agree with what Dr. Cameron said about how the lights can benefit more than those who live out that way." His gaze swept over the audience. "I don't know whether they would have prevented the vandalism and injuries that occurred at our job site, but I believe there'll be more building out there and lights will help."

Robertson stood. "I'm afraid I disagree with my honorable opponent. Lights could lead to even more crime. They didn't prevent the vandalism in town here."

The debate continued for a while, covering an assortment of topics. When the debate was over, Cameron was exhausted.

"Draining, I know," Pamela said. "But don't worry. You did well. It was worth it for the people who attended to hear you speak. They seemed to like what they heard, but also to enjoy hearing you say it."

House joined them on the stage. "Pretty impressive, Miss Councilwoman."

Her mouth curved into a smile when she looked at him and a flush crept up her cheeks. "Did I just hear that?"

"You're a shoo-in."

"No, I meant the praise part."

"Come on, let's go home. You've had a busy day."

They arrived home to find Edna playing with her new love, a reddish tabby.

"What are you going to call him?" Cameron asked.

House tried to look disinterested, but every once in a while, his eyes strayed to the frisky little fellow.

"MacTavish, I think. He has the color of one."

"What a sweet face he has, though." Cameron lifted him and cradled him in her arms.

"Well, they all tend to at this age."

House watched for a moment. His tendency to like MacTavish diminished by the look in Cameron's eyes. "How quickly their affections shift," he muttered.

"Are you referring to me?" Cameron put the cat down on the floor so it could explore some more.

"At least Edna knows not to give it cow's milk," he said.

"Well, of course not," Edna was shocked. "Why, did someone do that?"

Cameron nodded. "Mo threatened to until Jessica put her straight."

"Yes, she'd know. I already bought kitten formula and a bottle and nipples. MacTavish will grow quickly, and then I can get him started on canned cat food."

"Seems you've had a cat before." Cameron chuckled. "MacTavish will do well with you."

"My sons had kittens that grew into good house cats, but it's been a while since I've had one around here." Edna smiled. "He'll be a good companion after you're gone."

"Won't you rent my place out again?" Cameron asked.

"I've been thinking about it. I like having young people around too. You wouldn't happen to know of anyone who'd be interested, would you?"

Cameron frowned. "I'm afraid not. Most of our friends here are moving into House's office building."

"Yes, the house on Hanbury. How are the renovations going?"

"They're just getting started," House replied. "I hope to move in next month. One move a month is more than enough for me."


	32. Chapter 32

Here's another one for you lovely readers. Thanks for the comments.

 **Chapter 32.**

Monday was a busy day for everyone, especially at the house on Hanbury Street. Jacob had been discharged over the weekend and was back at school, so Naomi returned to work. She and Carol decided that each should work half a day at the clinic until House's office was finished and Naomi could start there.

Naomi had plans. "On my half day off, I'll make sure the reception area for House's patients is the way I'd like it."

"You'll have to double check everything you do with House," Cameron warned.

"Oh, I will, but the front office will have to meet my needs. He can decide on the rest." At noon, after Carol arrived, Naomi left the clinic and drove to Hanbury Street.

Will had finished with the apartment on the second floor of the building, so Wilson and Jessica could move in. Moving men went in and out of the side door with their furniture. Occasionally a piece was so big it was hard to turn it to take it up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Will and his crew worked on renovations of the first floor. When Naomi arrived, she found him directing his men to install electric and water lines wherever House and Mortimer had requested.

"Hi, Naomi." Seth stopped cutting a small rectangle in a new wall separating the lab from the hallway. He fished out electric wires and attached them to an outlet then inserted it in the rectangle he cut.

"Looks like you're already knee deep in wiring the place." She pointed to another wall where she pictured the reception area and waiting room would be. "Can you make sure there are several outlets in that wall?"

"What for?"

"We'll need lamps nearby, for one thing."

He shook his head. "I think Dr. House plans ceiling lights in this part of the office. They're still in their boxes, waiting to be installed."

Naomi nodded then thought a minute. "Maybe we should have some way for patients and their families to charge their phones."

"That's a good idea. Sure, I can set up a charging station in the waiting room." Seth sorted through his parts and found what he needed. He walked to the wall Naomi indicated and set to work.

She smiled then turned to look for Will. She found him instructing another man on where to place tiles on the floor, and where the area would be carpeted. "Will the waiting room be carpeted?" she asked.

Will nodded. "I have samples if you want to pick a color."

Naomi grinned, found the samples and sorted through them, selecting a tweedy beige that wouldn't show much dirt from foot traffic.

"That's the one I was thinking would be best. I also have catalogs to pick out chairs and tables. Long as they come in under House's budget, he won't care. He'll likely never set foot in the waiting room." They both laughed at how true that was.

* * *

"I forgot how much furniture I had," Wilson surveyed all the pieces filling the living room.

"That bookcase can go into the second bedroom, and so can that table and my sewing machine," Jessica said.

"True, but there will still be too much." Wilson sighed loudly.

Jessica opened a box and lifted it to take to the kitchen. "Maybe Anita and Remy can use some that we won't need."

"We'll have to ask them." He moved a box of books. "That's where my DVD collection went!" Two moving men came up the stairs with another lamp, and Wilson shook his head. "My place in Princeton was so much bigger."

Jess returned from the kitchen. "Do you want to go back?"

"Hell, no." He shrugged. "Just saying." He took the books to the built-in bookcase and started loading it. "We'll make this work, and we'll be much happier than I was there."

Jessica smiled and patted his arm. But her belongings still hadn't arrived.

* * *

Hadley and Anita's renovations were complete. While Hadley was at the hospital, Anita hung pictures and a mirror in their bedroom. Her phone rang. It was the chief.

She climbed down off the ladder she'd been on to answer it. "Hi Chief. Need me?"

"Yeah. There's been a shooting at an apartment complex at the north end of town. I know you took today off, but I'd like you to head the investigation."

"No problem. I'm almost finished here. I can do the rest later." Anita looked down at her plaster dusted clothing. "Soon as I change, I'll head up there."

He gave her the address and her eyes widened. It was the complex where she and Hadley had looked for a place to live. Was that the kind of people who lived there? She knew she couldn't generalize. After all, there had to be over a hundred people who lived in that complex. The shooter and/or the victim might not even live there. She bounded down the stares, nearly colliding with a man carrying a toaster oven, and out to her car to drive north.

* * *

Their house was ready for House and Cameron to move it, but they'd each received calls about delays in shipment from their moving companies. House was not amused, Cameron took it in stride.

"We can start by bringing over the few things we have in the room here at Edna's," she said that morning. "Mostly mine, I'll admit. I'll do that after the clinic is closed for the day."

"We'll still have to sleep here."

"That's okay. The sleep sofa is hers, so it'll stay long after we're gone."

House's mouth twinged. "I'll go over during the day." Suddenly he brightened. "I'll stock the fridge."

She chuckled. "You do that." Although she could imagine she'd find beer and frozen dinners when she got there later.

After breakfast at the diner, House drove across the alley to drop Cameron off at the clinic, then continued on out Harbor Rd. He'd get the groceries later. When he reached their lane, he pulled over and opened his trunk. Inside was a post and a sign, House Lane. He smiled looking at it. The smile broadened as he drove down the gravel lane to the house. _I can't believe this is mine. Mine and Cameron's_.

The house sprawled over the property. _It could do with some shrubbery, maybe even grass but not so much_ _I'll_ _have to mow it for hours. Maybe we'll get a cow or a goat or whatever like_ _s_ _to eat_ _the stuff_.

He opened the door and went inside. Immediately, the scent of sea air so prevalent outside, was gone. The kitchen drew him. He opened the refrigerator. _This will hold a ton of food._ He could picture himself at a table in the alcove formed by a bay window waiting for Cameron to scramble him some eggs. Or maybe letting her watch him cook something on the stove. It would mean fewer meals at the diner, but also more meals they could eat alone, just the two of them. No Wilson and Jessica. No team, Hadley and Anita. Well, maybe they'd still eat there sometimes.

* * *

Jacobs, Magnani and Simpson sorted through stacks of files, looking for their next patient.

"Oh, come now, Bart," Jacobs said. "I saw the way you looked at Chatterji last Friday evening when we went out together." She and Magnani had been teasing him ever since.

"I am not interested in that stuck-up and mousy woman!" he asserted for the gazillionth time.

The other two laughed.

"Do people still say 'stuck-up?' I think she's shy and not sure where she fits with us." Jacobs passed a file to Simpson first. "How 'bout this one?"

He hissed out his breath. "Another kid?"

"What's wrong with kids? I thought you liked them. You got along even better with Jacob than Heather and I did," Magnani said.

"He just thinks a case involving a sick kid might require Chatterji's help." Jacobs smirked.

"That's not it." Simpson gave the file to Magnani, crossed his arms on the table and rested his forehead on them. "She hates me."

"And you can't stop thinking about her. Admit it."

Simpson lifted his head. "What am I going to do?"

"We're going to take this case and ask for Anaya Chatterji's help." Jacobs smiled. "Who knows? Maybe once she's worked with us enough, she'll relax her defenses, and you'll be able to swoop in for the score."

Simpson still slumped. "I sure hope so."

Their boss entered. "Do we have a case?"

They chorused, "Yes."

* * *

House drove back to town. It was after noon and he hadn't had any lunch yet. Still, before he headed for the diner, he made a stop at the Hanbury house. His Hanbury house.

A moving truck was parked in front and men went to and fro with furniture he remembered from Wilson's condo. At least one company delivered on time.

The front door was open slightly and hammering indicated that Will and his crew were hard at work. As he walked up the steps, Naomi exited the building.

"I hope you don't mind, but I made some requests for the reception area of the office," she said.

House shrugged. "I'll leave that to you. Just don't make patients too comfortable."

She smirked. "You'll want to avoid their complaints if they have to wait."

"Folks should be used to waiting. It's a doctor's office after all."

She grinned. "See you soon, boss."

His mouth twitched but finally settled into a smile.

"See ya." He watched her walk down the street to where her car was parked then entered the chaotic first floor. Between the moving men coming in and going out, and the construction workers hammering and driving screws with electric screw drivers, the noise alone was deafening.

He headed for the room that would be his office and found Will on the phone.

"Well, when can you get it here?" the contractor said. "I need it this week."

"Tell them we'll pay to expedite shipping. Whatever it is." House sat in the desk chair that was the only piece of furniture in the room. He leaned back and put his hands behind his head then tried to swivel but it wasn't the swiveling kind.

Will gave him a surprised look complete with raised eyebrows. "Any way to expedite shipping?" He listened to the other person with a lot of 'a-hmms'. When he ended the call he faced House. "That was the company sending the examination table and cabinets for the exam room. It'll cost another thousand, but we can have them here by Friday."

House twisted his mouth then sighed. "Cheer up. Things are moving along. That's all that matters."

* * *

"We'll let you do the honors of inviting Anaya to help us on this case," Magnani told Simpson.

Simpson cheeks flamed. "I … I couldn't do that."

"Of course you can," Jacobs said. "Go up there and tell her our next patient is a little girl, none of us is a pediatrician, and we'd appreciate her help."

"I'm just afraid she'll laugh in my face." His shoulders slumped, and he frowned.

"Bart, it's a professional request. She can't turn you down." Jacobs gave him a slight shove.

He went off, not entirely convinced. All the way up, he repeated what Jacobs told him to say, but when he got off the elevator and saw the sea of faces of the pediatric nurses, those thoughts flew from his mind. "Uh, is Dr. Chatterji here?" Even those few words were hard for him to say.

"Did you need me, Dr. Simpson?" There she was, coming from the corridor behind him.

He turned to face her. He wet his lips and took a deep breath. And he stammered, "Our new patient is a kid."

Her face was unreadable. "And you need a pediatrician to tell you what's normal for a kid."

He nodded, mouth open, staring at her.

"Didn't any of you do a rotation in pediatrics in med school?" Chatterji asked.

He took that as a reprimand and turned to walk away.

She sighed. "I might as well take a look at him."

"Her," Simpson said.

"Right, her." In the elevator, she asked, "Don't you like me?"

Like her? He thought he was falling in love with her. He rubbed his eyes. "I do like you, but –"

"Why are you so tongue-tied around me? Honestly, I don't bite." She chuckled.

"I didn't think you did." He pressed his lips together. "Dr. Chatterji –"

"Anaya."

"Anaya, the truth is, my friends have encouraged me to ask you out."

"On a date?" Her dark eyes narrowed.

He nodded, but just then the doors opened. They'd reached their floor and the patient.


	33. Chapter 33

Here's more everyone!

 **Chapter 33.**

The team and Dr. Chatterji continued their tests, but none revealed what their patient's suffered from. She was eleven-years-old, same as Jacob, but her symptoms were quite different. Her white blood cell count was high. Her aches and pains were those of an old woman, as if she had well-advanced arthritis.

"We could consult with a rheumatologist," Chatterji suggested.

"Who's the best in this hospital?" Magnani asked. "We still haven't met most of the specialists here."

She pursed her lips and hesitated as if she was reluctant to even say the name.

"C'mon, Anaya. Do you know?" Jacobs urged.

"Philips. Sean Philips." She practically spit out the name, then pressed her lips together again.

"And you don't like him." Jacobs nodded. "Maybe there's another."

Reluctantly Chatterji said, "You want the best. He's the best."

"But far from your favorite person."

She nodded. "You can say that."

* * *

Anita pulled up behind a police car at a section of the apartment complex next to the one where she and Hadley had looked at an apartment. "What've we got?" she asked a uniformed policemen she knew as Pat Shroeder, who had just finished talking to one of the neighbors.

"Two dead. Looks like the woman shot the man then killed herself." He shook his head. "Neighbors said they were a very quiet couple, kept to themselves."

"Murder weapon?"

"It was still in the woman's hand. A .45." He consulted his handheld. "Registered to the male."

She nodded. "Seems open and shut. Still, I'd like to see the crime scene."

"Suit yourself," Shroeder said.

She entered the building and found the apartment where the crime took place. Crime scene techs were all over it, collecting samples and photographing the bodies on the living room floor. A man and woman, probably in their fifties.

"This their apartment?" she asked Shroeder who'd followed her inside.

"Yes." Shroeder looked at his handheld again. They're identified as Lil and Nate Audin. Lived here three years. Never made trouble but they hadn't made any friends in the time they'd been here, either."

"Any other prints on the weapon besides the woman's?" Anita had to make sure no one else was involved in the shooting.

"The CSI's will check that when they get all the evidence in the office. We don't have a field kit for that."

Anita nodded. "And the wounds?"

"The male sustained a bullet to the chest. The medical examiner will determine if it came from the gun in the woman's hand." Shroeder closed his notes. "She was shot in the head on the side that the gun is held."

"Pointing to a murder-suicide." She looked around. "Has anyone searched the bedroom yet?"

"I was waiting for you." Shroeder led the way.

The bed in the small room was unmade. Both pillows showed indentations, each with trace hairs on it. Anita collected those then turned to the nightstands. A paperback lay on one along with a lamp. The other held a cellphone and another lamp. She pocketed the paperback and the cellphone in evidence bags.

* * *

House finally made it to the diner as Cameron was leaving. "Where were you?" she asked.

"Went to check out the house. Both houses." He shook his head. "If someone told me a year ago that I'd be the owner of two, count 'em, two pieces of property, I'd have said they were insane."

She grinned. "Better get used to it."

"Wilson's stuff arrived."

"Guess we should have used the same moving company as he did."

He nodded slowly then looked around the restaurant. "What's the special?"

"Hot open roast beef sandwiches."

"With mashed or fried?"

She smirked. "Either, but Pete had one with steamed broccoli."

"What he doesn't know won't tempt him."

She raised her brows then shook her head. "See you." She planted a kiss on his forehead.

"You still want to take a carload over to the house later?"

"Yes, after dinner."

He watched her go, then called Linda over. "I'll have the special."

She studied him with a smirk on her face, similar to Cameron's. "Ya can go your usual route or take a page from Pete."

"Since when did you resort to metaphorical language? Oh, however Pete had it." He sighed loudly and she laughed.

Anita came through the doors looking glum.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Oh, just a murder-suicide at an apartment complex Remy and I considered moving to."

He smiled. "Makes you glad you ended up at my place."

"Ain't it the truth. Is there a special? I need something to remove the bad taste in my mouth."

"Open roast beef sandwich."

She perked up immediately. "Sounds perfect." She rubbed her hands together. When Linda brought House's plate, though, she raised an eyebrow. "Broccoli?"

"That's how Pete had it, so I thought I'd give it a try."

"I'll have the same but with fries." Anita sat back, closed her eyes and sighed.

House grinned, picturing himself stealing a few from her after he was good and ate all his green stuff.

Anita opened her eyes again. "What did you think of the renovations Will Davis and his crew are making?"

"He does what I tell him. That's the sign of a good contractor."

"Yeah, but doesn't he make suggestions?" she asked. "I noticed when one of his men asked him to make a decision about something, he didn't hesitate."

"We've worked together before. He knows what I'd decide."

"Glad you have so much faith in him." She paused as Linda brought her food and she thanked the waitress. "Do you think he'll make a good mayor?"

"You want my opinion on politics?"

She shrugged. "Why not?" She munched a French fry and smiled.

"If Will pays as much attention to his job as mayor as he does to his business, and also to his family, he could be a great mayor. Long as he doesn't decide to spend contracting time on campaigning."

She'd only started eating when her phone beeped and she glanced at the caller ID. "Excuse me, I have to take this." She moved to an empty booth two down from House, but returned quickly. "Gotta go."

"Want me to wrapped this?" Linda said.

"Sure. Don't know when I'll get to eat it." She smiled at House. "Leave a few fries on the plate for Dr. House. He's been eyeing them since you brought my food."

Two minutes later she was gone, and House had his few French fries.

* * *

"Sharon and Bryan were having a grand old time when I dropped him off," Carol said. "She's like a second mother to my baby."

"How does he get along with Rachel?" Cameron asked.

"Oh, she loves seeing him at their house when she gets home from school. She said she'd babysit him any evenings we want."

Cameron grinned. "She's a good kid."

"Yeah, her main focus now is applying to colleges."

The clinic was quiet that afternoon, a couple of men came in with colds that wouldn't go away, and a woman arrived in between with unusually severe cramps. In each case, Cameron examined them and gave them prescriptions.

Between patients, she glanced at her watch a few times, willing the hours away until she could visit her new home, bringing a few boxes of belongings. It was too bad the move of the furniture she had in storage had been delayed, but she hoped they'd arrive during the week. Meanwhile, she'd just be happy that she and House had a home to call their own. She pictured them picnicking in the kitchen, using the counters since there wasn't a table. She'd miss meals with the gang at the diner, but intimate dinners or weekend brunches sounded wonderful.

It was hard to believe that she and House had reached this point. Who would have believed it a year or two ago? She didn't think she would.

Carol buzzed her, signaling a waiting patient and cutting short her reveries.

* * *

Chatterji was invaluable as they tried to diagnose the child. She pointed out that what they thought were symptoms were actually part of the growth and development of an eleven-year-old child. When they removed those from their list, they were left with few signs to work with, fever, headache, vomiting and abdominal pain. They'd also noticed the beginning of a red throat and petechiae on the girl's palate.

"Guess there's no need to consult with Dr. Philips after all," Jacobs said, making Chatterji grin for the moment. "If we were in Africa or in the Middle East, I'd say she had Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever, but we're not and she hasn't been. Neither have her parents, her school teachers nor any of the children."

"Are we sure? We should talk to the school staff, find out if one of the children arrived recently or traveled in the last month." Magnani looked at each of the others.

"I'll go," Jacobs said.

Magnani put a hand on her shoulder."I'll go with you."

That left Simpson alone with Chatterji. "I'd like to run an ELISA assay."

"Good idea." Chatterji scanned the whiteboard again. "We should also start her on ribavirin."

"Should I tell the parents?" he asked.

She nodded and smiled. "We can treat her symptoms too and make sure she's getting enough fluids and electrolytes. Even with CCHF, her stomach shouldn't be that distended though." She turned to him. "Simpson, you started to tell me that the others think we should date. How do you feel about that?"

He was too stunned by the question to respond.

* * *

House drove back to Hanbury Street. He entered the building and stood in the entryway, hands on cane, watching Will and his crew work. Every once in a while, Will approached him with a question, where to put office bookshelves, what color to paint the walls, whether the lights in the examining rooms and office should be dimmable.

Wilson and Jessica clattered down the stairs at one point, on their way out to buy light bulbs and toilet paper. Both had big smiles on their faces.

"Finished moving in?" House asked.

"The movers took an hour off for a late lunch, so we decided to go shopping," Jessica replied. "Can we bring anything back for you?"

He shook his head and watched them go, but it reminded him of everything he needed for the office besides medical equipment. "See you later," he called to Will and left the building. Most of what he needed could be purchased online, he just needed access to a computer. A computer. More than one, linked together.

When he worked at the hospital, he had one, but it belonged to Snow Hill Mercy. A computer was one of the items he'd need for the office, maybe even a small network. Who would know of someone to set that up for him and tell him what he'd need? Will might have known, but he didn't want to disturb the contractor. He smiled to himself. Pamela and Anna knew all. He drove to Pamela's house.

She was weeding her front flower beds, although the blooms were long gone. As he approached, she stood with a little effort.

"You shouldn't be doing that," he chastised. "You can afford a gardener."

"I know, but I enjoy it. It's the kind of mindless task that lets me think."

"And what do you have to think about?" he asked.

"About you actually." She smiled. "I've been going to Dr. Hanley in Snow Hill for many years, but he's getting older. He's older than I am, in fact. I've been thinking about whether I should switch to you as my doctor now that you're opening a practice here."

He thought about what it would like to have her as a patient. He'd tended her the last time she was ill. "Where was he when you were laid up?"

"It seemed expedient at the time to allow you to tend me."

"I understand."

"But you didn't come here to listen to my ponderings." She smiled. "Want to come in for a tall glass of iced tea? Or something else?"

"No, I wanted to pick your brain instead. Who in this town is good at setting up a computer network? I'll need one for the practice."

"And you came to me?" She laughed. "Well, I can think of one person, but I'm not sure he'll do it."

"Who?"

"Gordon Peck." Her mouth twitched into a grin.

"The Manager out on the pier?"

She nodded. "He's actually very clever about that sort of thing."

"Too bad he didn't get his step-son interested in a lawful way of making a living."


	34. Chapter 34

I'll be out of town next weekend, and doubt I'll have another chapter ready by next Monday, but meanwhile here's another chapter.

 **Chapter 34.**

House headed for the pier. He hoped Peck didn't hold grudges.

Peck was in his office. He frowned when House walked in. "You again."

House ignored him. "I have a job for you, a well-paying job."

"Do you know the kind of trouble you got me into?" Peck didn't wait for an answer. "It'll have to be very well-paying for me to do anything for you."

"I'm opening a new practice in town and I need a computer network." I wondered whether the guy would do it. "You'd have to talk to the contractor to let him know your needs."

Peck stared at him for more than a minute. "Who's your contractor?"

"Will Davis. He's the one built my house not too far from here."

Peck nodded. "I saw the trucks on my way from town. It'll cost you." He grinned.

House figured it was because he obviously had deep pockets. "It's the least you can do after that step-son of yours and his friends vandalized the place." House saw that was the wrong thing to say from the step backwards Peck took and the frown on his face. "But I said I'd pay you well and I will."

They worked out a fair price in minutes, then Peck asked, "Is Davis at the site now?"

"Sure is."

Peck sighed. "Okay, I'll go talk to him this afternoon, have someone come in and cover the office, not that there's much business out here in the mid-afternoon."

HHH

Anita filed the paperwork on the killings at the apartment complex, but she had a nagging feeling something wasn't right. Why did the wife kill her husband and then herself? There were no clues in the apartment that they'd been at odds over anything.

Chief Anderson entered her small office. "Anita, we've got the M.E.'s report on the two bodies."

"And?"

"Everything's consistent with how it appeared." His questioning voice and facial expressions didn't match the words.

"But?" She shook her head. "Something's bothering me about this and your voice tells me it's bothering you too."

He didn't deny it. "Check their financial records. See whether there's anything fishy, large amounts of money coming in. That sort of thing."

"I was just about to do that." She pointed to her computer. "I'll also check on their friends and relatives. See if there's something off there too."

"Let me know what you find." He left her to her job, and she set to work.

After an hour of probing the couple's financials, Anita was about to give up, but then she noticed something. It was so small she missed it at first, but looking yet again, she saw it from a different viewpoint and it set off alarm bells in her head.

HHH

"Look at this." Chatterji handed Simpson the results of the ELISA test on their patient.

He shook his head. "Sure looks like Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever. It's a good thing we started the right treatment for it. But how did she get a disease like that?"

Chatterji shook her head. "I hope Jacobs and Magnani get some answers from the parents and teachers."

Simpson scratched the back of his neck. "We might have to get House involved in this."

"Who?"

"Dr. House used to run this unit before Dr. Hadley." Simpson grinned. "He's a champ at tracking clues to solve mysteries like this."

She raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you admire him."

"I do." He continued to grin. "His methods are… let's say he's nontraditional. But he gets the job done."

"Why did he leave Snow Hill?" she asked.

"He's opening a practice in Shelby. That's where we all live."

Chatterji nodded. "Yes, Heather told me you three share a house there."

Jacobs and Magnani were frowning and shaking their heads when they entered. "No joy with the parents or teachers." Jacobs said. "No one's ever been to Africa or the Crimea."

"They said the kid has never left the state let alone the country." Magnani sat with a thud.

"And no new students?"

"Nope." Magnani put his head down with his hands covering the back.

"Our tests confirmed CCHF, though," Simpson said. "We started treatment even before we got the first results, but we may never know how she got it."

Jacobs sighed. "And if we don't know, we can't prevent it being passed on to others. We need to pick House's brain on this one."

"That's what Bart said." Chatterji looked curious.

"Come to dinner with us at Mo's in Shelby and you'll meet the illustrious Gregory House." Jacobs grinned.

But first they asked Hadley. "She had to be in contact with a carrier. Too bad we don't have access to airline records. I suppose it could be someone her parents and teachers don't know about, but it's more likely one of them, a friend or another relative. Ask her to list everyone she's seen in the last two weeks, even if it was in passing."

Jacobs and Chatterji went off to do that. Before they reached the room, Chatterji said, "Bart told me that you and Rocco want him to ask me out on a date."

Jacobs laughed. "Actually, we did. Would you go out with him?"

"Without the two of you matchmakers accompanying us?" Chatterji smiled. "Yes, I think I would."

HHH

House and Peck drove back to Hanbury Street in separate cars. Will's crew were still working. They'd moved on to putting up drywall to form partitions between the expanded waiting room and the suite of offices.

"Where's Will?" House asked Seth.

"He went to pick up the paint we ordered. Maybe I can help."

"Peck is going to plan out the computer network." House indicated the pier manager. "He'll need electric and Internet connections for it."

"We put in plenty, anticipating you'd need them, but he can tell me if he wants more." He held out a hand to Peck.

Peck glanced at House then shook it. "How much service does this place have?" he asked Seth.

House left before he was roped into a discussion of electric lines and fiber optic cable. Besides, it was almost time for dinner.

He drove toward the diner thinking about Peck, who turned out to be a more complex person than he ever suspected. He chuckled.

It was early enough that he could park close to the diner. As he entered, two men, dressed in jeans and plaid shirts, left. Something about the shorter one had him turning to watch them walk to a late-model Ford pick-up.

As House slid into the booth, he asked Linda, "Do you know who those two are?"

"I jest assumed they were strangers passin' through Shelby to somewhere else. Or maybe hunters, not that there's any huntin' in the county."

House watched the pair drive out of the lot turning right to head north through the town.

HHH

Cameron smiled when the last patient left. She was free to take her belongings to the house. First she had to find House. The most likely place would be the diner.

She said good-bye to Carol and strode across the alley, smiling when she saw his car. She entered the diner. Only House sat in the booth, staring out the window.

"What are you watching?"

"Besides you sauntering past? Two strangers just left, heading north, they returned, got gas and parked near the motel office."

Cameron shrugged. "Maybe they're tourists and decided to spend the night."

"You didn't see them. This isn't usually a plaid town."

"Are you prejudiced against plaid?" she asked.

"Not really. But there was something off about them." He pulled his focus from the window to her. "I thought we'd eat something then head out to the house."

"I still have to pick up my stuff from Edna's."

He nodded, and Linda approached.

As they ordered, Cameron couldn't contain her excitement. "We have the keys to our new place and will start moving a few things in tonight," she told the waitress.

"Bet it's gorgeous. I haven't been out that way in a while, but isn't it pretty desolate."

"The pier is not that much further down the road, and our house backs on land occupied by the pharmaceutical plant."

"Yeah, I heard 'bout some of them people from the plant messin' with your place."

Cameron grimaced. "They even attacked Carol's husband and another man."

Linda gathered their menus.

"But with Anita's help, the perps were caught and are now incarcerated."

"So I heard." Linda smiled and walked away.

"Speaking of the pier," House began when Linda was gone, but then hesitated.

"What about it?" Cameron asked.

"The pier manager turns out to be a wiz at setting up computer networks."

"And you need one for the new office." She grinned.

House nodded. "I left him telling Seth what we'll need beside the computers. I'll have to order those."

"Along with all the peripherals."

"Yup."

"Guess you never know about people."

"At one time I suspected he abused his step-son and that's why Wilbur was such a hooligan. Now, I don't know what to think."

Their food arrived and so did the team plus someone they'd never met.

Jacobs did the introductions. "Anaya, meet Dr. House and Dr. Cameron. She runs the clinic here in town. House, Cameron, this is Anaya Chatterji, the pediatrician who worked on Jacob Briggs' case with us and now we're working on another case together."

House studied the young woman. "I remember seeing you when I visited Jacob. But why did my former team bring you here for dinner?"

"We need to run something by you." Jacobs sat, and then so did the others.

"Someone who can look at this from another angle, one we haven't tried yet," Simpson added.

"Why not ask Hadley?" House looked from face to face. "I turned you over to her because she can do that."

"We already talked to her. The only idea she had didn't work." Magnani stared at House. "It's Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, only the kid was never in Africa, Eastern Europe or Asia."

House smirked. "Someone lied."

"Yeah, but who? And how do we find out?" Magnani asked.

"Anita might know how," Cameron said.

Just then the newest Shelby PD officer arrived. "I might know what?"

Simpson's brow furrowed. "How do we find out if someone's been out of the country?"

"Ask them?" Anita half-smiled.

"Already did. They deny it." Jacobs narrowed her eyes. "Maybe they weren't supposed to be somewhere."

"Ooh, a spy!" House guffawed.

"Really, House." Anita's gaze went to the ceiling. "Spies aren't the only ones who travel out of the country for nefarious reasons."

"Oh, so now they're criminals?" Cameron frowned.

"Could be." Anita held out her hand to Chatterji. "I'm Anita Morrow."

"Anaya Chatterji. I'm a pediatrician and I'm helping the team with this case."

"Pleased to meet you." Anita turned to the team. "Where's Remy?"

"I thought she left the hospital before we did." Magnani narrowed his eyes

Simpson played with his napkin. "She didn't know how to find out whether our patient's parents or teachers had been to a place where they could have contracted Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever."

"Wow, is that what your patient has? Not something you see here." Anita was amazed.

"Are you a doctor?" Chatterji asked her.

Anita shook her head. "Former FBI, now a proud member of the Shelby Police."

Hadley finally arrived. Everyone squeezed into the booth but they still needed two chairs. "I've been going over the interviews with the child's parents and teachers, looking for gaps in the timelines when they could have left the country."

"And?" Jacobs asked.

"Nothing. I'm stumped about what to try next." She stared at Anita. "Any ideas?"

"Your team already asked that." Anita hesitated. "You might have to challenge them about their stories anyway, see if someone cracks."

"What if we told them they were in danger of getting the disease if they were the ones who gave it to Jenny, but we could prevent that from happening if we act in time," Chatterji said.

"I like her." House pointed to Chatterji. "That might work."

"It's worth a try," Hadley agreed. "Tomorrow morning, Simpson, talk to the parents. Jacobs go with him. Magnani can tackle the teachers."

"What do you want me to do?"

Hadley rubbed her forehead. "Technically, you don't work for me, so I can't tell you what to do."

"She can come with me," Magnani said.

Hadley nodded.

Not to be left out, Anita said, "I could call in a few favors, someone I know with one of the airlines that flies to points in Africa."

"At least now we have a plan," Jacobs said.


	35. Chapter 35

Here's another lovely chapter for you lovely people.

 **Chapter 35.**

House and Cameron stopped at Edna's to pick up the items Cameron wanted to take to the house, mainly a box of books, a toaster, and a load of clothing that needed to be washed.

"Are you sure you won't need any of that before we move?" House pointed to the toaster.

"Hopefully it'll only be a few days. I think I can do without this."

They drove out Harbor Road to their lane. When Cameron noticed the signpost House put up, she laughed. "I assume you did that."

"It will probably never be on a map or GPS, but since it's our lane, it's appropriate."

"Except it's our lane, not just yours." She rummaged in her purse and found a marker, got out of the car and added -Cameron after House's name. "There."

He smirked but didn't say anything.

They drove up to the house, Cameron grabbed her belongings, and House unlocked the door. As they stepped in, Cameron said, "Just thinking about the fun we'll have here gives me goose bumps." She put her box of stuff on the counter. "Can you believe that this is ours?"

"I can now." He took her in his arms and kissed her. They walked from room to room, arm-in-arm.

"I can't wait to see our furniture here," Cameron said, although it would mostly be House's pieces from his apartment. She didn't have that much, but it could fill the spare bedrooms. Now they'd have plenty of room.

* * *

The next morning, the conversation about the team's patient resumed over breakfast. Chatterji wasn't there, but Wilson and Jessica were.

As soon as they finished eating, the team left for Snow Hill to put their plan into place.

House said, "I'm heading out to the house. My piano and some other furniture are arriving. Gotta make sure they put things in the right rooms. Find out why everything didn't come all at once." His words indicated he was in a hurry, but he didn't get up right away.

"My stuff's coming today, too," Jess said. "Hope we can find room for it."

"Unfortunately, my pieces are still delayed." Cameron frowned.

"What's the delay about?" Anita asked.

"There was a strike at two delivery companies last week and even though it's been settled, the companies are behind on deliveries," Cameron replied. "Have you gotten all your furniture?"

"I move so often, I don't own many pieces. I usually rent what I don't have. Luckily mine worked well with what Remy had." Anita stood. "I better get going, catch some bad guys and earn my salary."

"We're going back to work today, too." Wilson drank the remainder of his coffee and stood.

Jessica looked at her mug. She stood with Anita and Wilson. "See you all at dinner."

After the three of them left, Cameron smiled. "Leave space for my bookcases and recliner when you have them set-up your furniture."

"We'll see." But he was smiling in a way that told Cameron he meant 'of course'.

"Will you be too busy to follow-up on the two strange men from yesterday?" she asked.

"Why?"

"Turn around."

The men sat at the booth two down from them. They were engaged in a heated argument rather than a friendly conversation. One threw down his napkin and stormed out leaving the other looking stricken.

House's smile spread. He nodded at Cameron as she rose to leave. With a peck on his forehead, she left him to it. The clinic called to her.

House drained his coffee mug and stood. He walked to the remaining man, who seemed to be brooding about something. House plopped down across from him. "New in town?"

The man studied him through half-lidded eyes. "Just passing through."

House pointed to the empty plate on his side of the table. "Where'd your friend go?"

"Nosy, aren't you?"

"I'm the town gossip. Have to know about everyone."

The man tilted his head. "I doubt that." He took a deep breath. "But, what the hell? What did you want to know? I'm in a mood to spill."

House laughed. "I like you, and I don't even know you. Maybe that's why."

"So?" the man asked.

"How long you and your friend here for?"

"We weren't even supposed to stay last night. Shoulda gone on. We could have been in Baltimore instead of this rinky-dink town."

"No one calls my town rinky-dink, but that's besides the point. Why didn't you go on?" House leaned toward him.

"Boss said to sit tight until he contacts us again." He groaned deep in his throat. "Harve was for leaving today and going north, but I'll wait for the boss to tell us when."

"I gather Harve's your friend."

"Yeah, and you are?" his eyes narrowed.

House laughed again. "Greg House." He held out a hand more to test the man's grip than anything.

"Steve Holder." The grip was stronger than the man looked. There didn't seem to be much muscle on his slight body, but you never knew.

"So what are you and Harve doing here?"

"Just waiting for orders."

"But you were arguing."

Holder nodded, "Yeah, like I said, about moving on." He shrugged. "Food's good at this diner, and our room's comfortable, as comfortable as you'd find nearer Baltimore for much less money."

"Aren't you on an expense account?"

"You kidding?" He snorted. "We'd be lucky if the boss paid for a cup of coffee when we're staking out a place."

"You some kind of cop?" House hadn't expected that

"Some kind. More like PI's, but not exactly."

"Not exactly a private investigator, some kind of cop," House muttered to himself. "What's happening in Baltimore?" he asked aloud.

"Can't talk about it. It's all hush-hush."

House made a mental note to ask Anita if she'd heard anything. "You'll find Shelby to be a pleasant town when the local pharmaceutical plant isn't poisoning their pills and the water supply or when young vandals are locked up."

Holder's eyebrows went up.

"All under control. Our police department is first-rate."

"And what do you do in this bucolic oasis?" Holder asked.

House smiled. "A little of this, a little of that." He stood. "Enjoy your stay. I'll probably see you again." He turned and left the diner. The furniture should be arriving within the next hour, plenty of time for him to drive out to the house.

He had to laugh when he reached the sign that Cameron amended the night before. She was right. It was theirs, not his. Oddly, he felt great about it. He drove down House-Cameron Lane and parked near the door, leaving lots of space for the moving truck to park. With furniture inside it would begin to feel even more real.

The truck was later than they said, but he expected that. He tried to follow each piece carried inside to make sure it was placed where he wanted it, but there were three men unloading the truck and he couldn't keep all three in sight. The couch and a few tables had to be repositioned when they were finished in the first few rooms. The delivery men groaned but did as he asked. The main thing was that the piano took center stage in the living room, and the bed in the master bedroom.

* * *

The team found their patient asleep. Her condition was slightly improved. "At least the treatment is working," Magnani said.

The girl's parents stood out in the hall, and Chatterji was talking to them. They left her to do her part, telling them that whoever gave the girl the disease should be treated immediately. Jacobs and Magnani set off to tell the teachers the same thing. Meanwhile, Simpson called Anita to find out what she'd been able to learn.

"None of the people involved flew to Africa on a commercial airline," she said.

"But?"

"There are discrepancies between what the father told us and when he was in his office. He took off for four days toward the end of last month and didn't tell anyone where he was going."

"Bingo." Simpson grinned.

"Not so fast," Anita cautioned. "It's possible he was home or he went somewhere else close enough to Shelby that he could drive."

"And the other possibility?"

She took a deep breath. "The other possibility was that he was doing something illegal that had nothing to do with his daughter's illness but that he didn't want anyone to know he'd done."

Simpson rubbed his temples. "I guess you're right. Still, it does give him opportunity."

"Yes, it does."

Jacobs and Magnani returned with their own news. "Her homeroom teacher was out sick recently," Jacobs said. "She told everyone it was the flu, but she didn't go to a doctor, so there's no proof."

"We'd have to examine her." Simpson made some notes. "See what antibodies she's retained. That'll tell us what illness she had."

Magnani nodded. "Meanwhile, the math teacher attended a conference two weeks ago. The conference was in Detroit. We can check whether she was actually there. I'll call the math society that organized it."

Chatterji related what they found out about the father.

"So we have three people who lied. Wonder if that's all?"

"Three people to investigate."

Simpson, Magnani and Jacobs each took one, while Chatterji conferred with Hadley.

"Why are you and the team so determined to find out who gave Melanie this disease?" the pediatrician asked. "When one of them shows signs of the illness, won't that tell you?"

"They could have gotten it from the same person, rather than being the carrier themselves."

* * *

Chief Anderson gathered his detectives in a conference room. "The autopsy on the couple from the apartment complex showed that the woman's hands didn't have any powder burns, proving she hadn't fired the gun."

"So who did?" Anita asked. "Our investigation so far hasn't turned up anyone who was close to them. No friends, no relatives. What were they involved in that got them killed?"

"Their financial records didn't show anything out of the ordinary. Direct deposits of each of their pension and social security payments each month. No large deposits otherwise, and no large withdrawals," Berenson, the financial expert had spent the previous day going over their records.

"There was nothing in their apartment to indicate they were anything but a newly retired couple," Anita said. "I've sent out feelers to their former coworkers. She worked for an insurance company located in Snow Hill, managing their records, and he was a salesman at a clothing store there."

"Where did they live before they moved here?" Anderson asked.

"They had a small house in Snow Hill, a three-bedroom that they sold for two hundred twenty thousand before they moved here." Berenson handed a sheet to Anderson. "They still have most of their net, fifty-five thousand, in the bank."

"You say most."

"Yeah. Their pensions and social security cover their monthly expenses, but they took a trip to Jamaica soon after they retired."

"Find out what you can about that trip. Where they stayed, who they met." Anderson looked around the table. "Anything else?"

When everyone shook their heads, he ended the briefing.

* * *

At lunchtime, Cameron headed for the diner. House had texted her that his furniture finally arrived and he was directing the delivery men, so she didn't expect to find him in their booth. She dreaded eating alone and grinned when she saw Jessica there.

"How was your morning?" she asked.

Jessica slumped in the seat. "Hectic. We had two dogs with broken legs, a bunny with digestive issues, and a cat with cataracts. That's not to mention the assortment of other animals with an assortment of ailments."

"Sounds like the clinic."

A man rushed to them. "Where's the older guy?" he asked.

He could only mean House. "He's not coming to lunch today," Cameron said. "Can I help you, Mr. …"

"Holder, Steve Holder. I talked to him this morning." He caught his breath. "Think I need his help." Emphasis on his.

"Whatever House can help you with, we can too." Cameron flashed her most reassuring smile. "I'm Allison Cameron and this is Jessica Simpson. What seems to be the problem?"

"My friend Harve disappeared."

"Is that the man you were with?"

"Yeah. We had breakfast together here and he rushed off somewhere." He shook his head. "When I returned to our room, most of his belongings were there, but no Harve. The car's still where we left it. He couldn't have gone far, right?"

"Depends on how fit he is. Is he a walker?" Jessica asked.

"Sometimes. I mean we walk a lot. For the job."

Cameron motioned for him to sit with them, but rather than perching on either bench, he brought over a chair.

"I told Mr. House we had an argument, but it wasn't so serious that he'd just take off."

"Have you reported this to the police?" Jessica asked.

"Um. I'd rather not. I mean, it's only a few hours, right? So they won't do anything. Not until he's been gone forty-eight. I suppose I should tell my boss." He looked down and his frown deepened.


	36. Chapter 36

I'll be traveling next Monday night, so I don't know when I'll be able to post the next chapter, perhaps on Tuesday. Meanwhile:

 **Chapter 36.**

"What was Harve wearing?" Cameron got out her phone.

"Dark slacks and a plaid shirt. Who are you calling?" A different kind of anxiety crept into Steve's voice.

Cameron remembered House talking about the men's plaid shirts. "Relax. I'm just calling House."

House answered right away. "You probably knew I was in the bedroom, trying out the bed."

"Without me?" She chuckled. "Listen, Steve Holder's here and he can't find his friend Harve. Have you seen him since this morning?"

"No. Did you call Anita?" he asked.

She looked at Holder and his quivering lips. "Steve doesn't want to involve the police, at least not yet."

"Yeah. I figured." A chuckle filled his voice.

"You'll have to explain that comment later. Right now, I need suggestions about where to look for Harve before I have to treat Steve for extreme anxiety."

"He's on foot, I gather?" House asked.

"Yes. Their car's still here. Although he could have hitched a ride."

"Nah. He's still around." A pause told her House was thinking. "Could he have taken another room at the motel? The only other place nearby are the shipyard and the stores in the strip where your clinic is."

Cameron's turn to chuckle. "And I doubt he's getting his nails done. I'll talk to Zach, find out if he's seen Harve. Thanks." She ended the call thinking she should have thought of that possibility. Then she turned to Steve. "Let's go talk to the owner of the motel."

They walked the length of the building to Zach's office. He was registering a couple, so they had to wait. Once the couple was gone, they approached the desk.

"What can I do for you, Doc?" Zach asked.

"Mr. Holder here is looking for the man he checked in with, Harve…" She realized she didn't know Harve's last name.

"Landau," Steve supplied. "We were sharing a room, but I think he may have decided he needed his own."

"Sure. I remember." Zach smiled. "Came in after breakfast asking for a single. I put him in number two. It's a double, but I didn't have a single."

"Thanks, Zach."

"Any time, Dr. Cameron." He was still smiling as they left.

"That was easy. Mystery solved."

Steve was studying her. He shook his head. "Yeah. Now I just have to decide what to say to him." Steve led the way down the walkway to number two.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Have to get back to work." Cameron continued on past the diner and across the alley.

The first of her afternoon patients arrived the same time she did. But she hadn't gotten far with the first patient before Naomi beeped her. "Doctor Cameron, a man named Steve is here to talk to you. He said it was urgent."

"I'll be right there." She turned to her patient. "Will you excuse me, Mr. Cartwright. I won't be long. You can take off your shirt so I can look at your rash when I return." The man likely had shingles from his description of his symptoms. He could wait a few minutes.

She rushed out the door. Steve Holder was more panicked than before. "Dr. Cameron, I knocked and Harve didn't answer, so I peaked through the window. It looks like he's dead."

"You'll have to call the police now. I'll have someone meet us at the room. Ask Zach for another key." She turned to look at the door to the exam room. It wouldn't take much time to give Mr. Cartwright a prescription and send him on his way.

* * *

House sat down at the piano, his fingers finding familiar melodies. A couple of keys sounded flat. He'd have to get the instrument cleaned and tuned. That's what you get for keeping it in storage, he thought. But it was a treasured old friend, one he was glad to have with him again. "I never realized how much I missed you." He played a few more riffs, not really a song. He'd have time for that later.

One of the moving men walked by carrying a table.

"Put that next to the couch," House said. So much more room in this house than the room at Edna's. "There should be a matching one for the other side." Even in Princeton he hadn't been able to keep all of his furniture in his apartment. Now there'd be a place for everything with room left over for Cameron's stuff.

He shifted to the couch, thinking about all the times he fell asleep on it, too tired, or too drunk, to move to the bedroom. Then there were the times Wilson slept over. He couldn't believe Wilson had been able to get all of his pieces into that apartment at the other house, but he seemed to be happy with the arrangement. No complaints. So far. As the landlord, he supposed there'd be many down the road, but he'd let Edna deal with them.

"That's it," one of the moving men said. "We just dropped the last of the boxes in that room with the bookshelves."

"The library."

"Yeah. Whatever." He handed House the inventory to look at and sign. Everything listed was checked twice, he assumed that meant loading and unloading.

"If anything's missing, I know where to find you," he warned the man. He'd have to go through the boxes, find his CDs, books and guitars. The last had been packed in a special box so they'd be easy to spot. He noticed the man was still standing there even though House had signed the papers and returned them. House glared at him, but reached into his pocket and pulled out a few twenties. "Split that with your pals."

A smile appeared. "Will do." The man took the money and turned to his companions. "Let's go guys." They climbed into the truck and sped off down the lane, spitting gravel.

House took another tour of the house, then he too left, heading back to town.

* * *

Simpson was alone in the conference room, checking with the people who'd arranged the teachers' conference. Melanie's math teacher had been registered, and someone picked up her packet at the conference center, but they couldn't confirm she attended.

"Has anyone who was at the conference reported getting sick afterwards?" Simpson asked.

"Oh, I couldn't say." The woman claimed that she wanted to help, but her answers to his questions had all been just as useless.

"Well, what can you say?"

"It was a lovely conference. Everyone enjoyed it."

He sighed. "Well, thanks. I might call back if I have other questions." Something else occurred to him. "Were all the attendees staying in the conference hotel?"

"Oh, yes. We got them a wonderful rate, and the hotel is so lovely."

"And the name of the hotel?" he asked.

She had to think a minute, no doubt checking her notes. "Let me see." Finally she found it and gave it to him.

"Thanks again," Simpson said automatically as he ended the call and prepared for another to the hotel. "Hello, this is Dr. Simpson at Snow Hill Mercy Hospital in Maryland. I understand a Miss Kendall Storey stayed at your hotel a couple of weeks ago for the teachers' conference there."

"I'm afraid we don't give out information about our guests," I lilting voice said. "I'm sorry."

"Wait, don't hang up. Miss Storey is ill and we wondered whether anyone else became ill while they were there."

"I can't give you that information." The voice was just as pleasant, but also adamant.

"Can I speak to your adviser or the manager of the hotel?" he asked.

A pause, then, "I'll check whether Mr. Talmadge is in."

Simpson tapped his pen on the table while he waited. He had to either clear the teacher or prove that she could be the carrier. Finally, a male voice came on the line. "This is Jonathan Talmadge. Can I help you?"

"Mr. Talmadge, this is Dr. Simpson calling form Snow Hill Mercy hospital. Was a Miss Storey, a Miss Kendall Storey staying at your hotel in the last two weeks?"

"As my employee told you, we don't divulge who was here at any given time."

"This is a very serious medical emergency. We believe she's a carrier of a fatal infection and want to protect anyone she was in contact with." Simpson tried to come up with a compelling argument. "I hope no one else staying there has become ill."

"Oh. We haven't been informed of anyone." The hotel manager's voice showed he was now alert. "Is it really serious?"

"I just said so," Simpson muttered. "Yes, very serious," he said aloud. "Unless anyone who was in contact with her is examined and treated within the next week, they will begin to show symptoms."

"Give me a minute." True to his word, the man was back in one minute. "Miss Storey checked in the Friday of the conference, and checked out on Sunday. I can't confirm whether she slept here each night."

"Would your housekeeping staff know?"

"I…I doubt they'd remember. I'm sorry. Should our staff be worried?" He sounded more than concerned himself.

"Has anyone called in sick?" Simpson pressed.

"Well, no. How infectious is this disease?"

"Very. Why even you might have caught it."

"I wasn't here that weekend, but I'll check with the staff that were."

"And the other attendees or anyone else staying there that weekend?" Simpson knew he was pushing, but this could be important.

"I can assure you that if anyone had complained about becoming ill after that weekend, we would have heard from corporate." The manager was back to being adamant. Simpson might have gone too far.

"Well, thank you for your cooperation. We'll let you know whether to be alarmed."

* * *

When House pulled into the parking lot for the motel and diner, he noticed a few uniformed police, a police car and several other people clustered around one of the motel rooms. Ever curious, he joined the crowd, spotting Anita, Cameron and Steve Holder. He smiled at the prospect of something juicy happening.

Anita and Holder were talking animatedly, but Cameron caught sight of House and called him over. "What happened?"

"Harve is dead," she said. "Steve's the prime suspect, of course."

"But he didn't know where Harve was."

Cameron shrugged. "Maybe he pretended."

"Or maybe after you helped him find Harve, he killed him. Either way, who else in this town knew that Harve was here?"

"What did you mean earlier about not being surprised Steve didn't want the police to help him find his partner?"

"I don't know what they're mixed up in. I think they just stopped here for something to eat before going on to Baltimore, or maybe it was something in Shelby that brought them to the diner. Whatever it was, if Steve didn't kill Harve, someone else did, and it sure wasn't you or me."

"We have to get Steve to tell us why they were here." She clenched. "That has to be the key."

"If Anita will let us talk to him."

"She can't just arrest him, can she?"

House shrugged. "Whether or not she can, it looks like she just did."

* * *

Chatterji joined Simpson in the conference room.

"The teacher did check into the conference hotel and picked up her packet, but otherwise, I have nothing on her movements in Detroit," he reported.

"I may have something. Talked to a friend of mine who works in the IT department of the father's company." Chatterji bit her lower lip. "Mr. Gardiner was gone that same weekend. And get this, he used his work computer to make a plane reservation to Detroit."

"You don't think…"

"Bart, if Mr. Gardiner was with the teacher, then where was Melanie's mother?"

"I assume home with Melanie. Does she have brothers or sisters?" He leafed through the files. "I can't find info on that."

"Then let's ask her." Chatterji smiled. "Who knows what she can tell us."

They took off together for Melanie's hospital room, full of questions for the kid.


	37. Chapter 37

Hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving. I'm home now for some time.

 **Chapter 37.**

The patient was sleeping. Simpson and Chatterji couldn't question her.

"What do we do now?" Chatterji asked. "I suppose we can wait until she wakes up."

But Simpson had spied Melanie's mom approaching. He pointed, and when Chatterji nodded, he siad, "Let's use the scare approach, tell her that whoever gave Melanie this disease is at risk."

They waited for the mother to come closer. "Mrs. Gardner, we've been looking for you."

"My daughter isn't worse, is she?"

"No," Chatterji said. "We're worried that the person who passed this on to her may become sick. The period until symptoms appear can vary widely."

Through the glass they noticed Melanie was waking up, so they entered the room.

"Mom, you came." A smile spread across the child's face.

"How are you feeling?" Mrs. Gardiner brushed her daughter's hair off her forehead and held her hand to her forehead. "You're not as hot as before."

"Her temperature is still over 100 degrees." Chatterji pointed to the readout.

"But down from 103," Simpson added.

Mrs. Gardiner poured a glass of water for Melanie and helped her drink it. "The doctors' treatment seems to be working. We'll have you home in no time."

"But where's Dad?" Melanie asked.

"Remember I told you he has to work, but he'll be here tonight."

Melanie grinned.

"We can't question her with her mother here," Simpson whispered in Chatterji's ear. "Any ideas on how to get rid of her?"

Chatterji nodded. "Mrs. Gardiner, is Melanie an only child?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I can't have any more." She sounded sad.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Chatterji pulled on her ear. "Do you think you and I could have a word?" She turned to Melanie. "We won't be long and Dr. Simpson will stay with you."

Melanie nodded. Her eyes shone when she looked at Simpson.

Chatterji and Mrs. Gardiner left, and Simpson pulled up a chair to the kid's bedside. "I thought they'd never leave."

Melanie giggled.

He scrunched up his nose. "Let's play a game, okay?"

"Okay." She giggled again.

"What kind of games do you play with your mother and father?"

"They taught me some card games, especially Dad."

"Does he have to work a lot?" Simpson asked.

"Too much."

"Well this is different than card games, but it also requires you to think, okay?"

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "I guess so."

"It's not like problems in math class."

"Miss Storey gives us lots of hard problems."

"Do you like her?" he asked.

"She's my favorite teacher." Melanie smiled.

"Have your parents met her?"

Melanie nodded. "At parent-teachers night. Mom doesn't like her as much as Dad does."

This was the opening he needed. "You seem to love your dad."

"Yeah, but he's away too much. Mom says it's for his business."

"Don't you think so?" Simpson asked.

"He seems – happier after he comes back."

"Was he away recently?"

"A few weeks ago. And Mom was away overnight, too. Lori babysat me. She's fun." The girl giggled.

Just then, her mother and Chatterji returned, and Simpson's talk with Melanie was cut short before he could even think of a game to play with her, but he'd gotten confirmation that her mother was also away when her father was.

"Where did you go when your husband was away a couple of weeks ago?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Don't you remember, Mom?" Melanie asked. "It was the night Lori babysat me."

Mrs. Gardiner crumpled into a chair and put her head in her hand. She took some time to compose herself but then addressed her daughter. "That's right, Mellie. You like when she babysits, don't you?"

"Yeah." Melanie grinned.

Her mother's gaze switched to Chatterji. It was clear she was more comfortable with her than Simpson. "The truth is, I followed my husband. I found out he was going to Detroit." She glanced at Melanie. "If my daughter hadn't gotten sick, I was going to divorce him. I even took pictures of them to use as evidence."

"So you were in Detroit?" Chatterji's voice was soft and sympathetic.

"Yes. I told the truth when I said I hadn't been out of the country."

"It appears no one was out of the country," Simpson said. "We're back to square one."

* * *

The police took Steve off. House and Cameron approached Anita, and Cameron asked, "They're just taking him in for questioning, right?"

"He's the only one with motive and opportunity," Anita said. "We'll hold him as we gather more clues."

"What's his motive? A fight over whether to stay here, as they'd been ordered, or to drive to Baltimore?" House scoffed.

Anita shook her head. "Is that what Holder told you?"

"Yes."

"I shouldn't be sharing this with you, but since you're probably the only people he's talked to since he's been in Shelby, maybe you can help."

"First, I want to know who they worked for, and don't tell me it was your former employer."

She smirked. "At a high level, meaning the federal government, I guess that's true. They're not FBI though."

"They work for another alphabet agency," House concluded.

"Yeah, one that shall not be named." She bit her lip. "I was told Harve Landau had been in touch with a terrorist organization, leaking information about the movements of his agency."

"You think Steve was ordered to kill him?" Cameron asked.

"It's possible." Anita sighed. "But while we wait for confirmation of that, we hold him."

"I knew there was something fishy about those guys when I saw them for the first time."

Cameron put a hand on House's arm. "You're suspicious of every stranger."

"Not like this." House had been thinking. "Could it be related to the deaths of the couple in the apartment complex? The one you were investigating?"

"We haven't found a connection, but that's a thought. We'll have to ask Steve if he knew them."

"I don't suppose I can be there when you question him."

Anita shook her head. "'Fraid not. I'll keep you apprised of what we learn. Cheer up. You've given me another line of questioning to pursue."

House nodded but he wasn't through. "Steve said that he wasn't a cop or PI and wasn't on an expense account."

Anita chuckled. "You're the one who taught me everybody lies."

* * *

Wilson stopped at Nora's room to see how she was doing. She turned the pages of a magazine without reading it. "Nervous about the surgery tomorrow?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you be? I've been through surgeries before, but they'll be rooting around in my brain, Dr. Wilson."

"And _they_ are experienced surgeons. Done it before."

"Yeah, I know, at least my mind does, but my heart is beating a mile a minute." She put the magazine aside. "And then there's my stomach."

"Do you want something to calm you?"

"Maybe, but if something goes wrong, today's the last day of my life that I'll have a coherent thought."

Her husband appeared with a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, Sandy, those are lovely!" She smiled at him.

"I wanted to see how you're doing. Didn't know you had a handsome young man visiting."

"Dr. Wilson was trying to calm my fears," she said.

Dr. Meisner put the flowers on her bed table and took her hand. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

"Tell my stomach that," she repeated. "It's twisting and turning. And my heartbeat is too fast by far."

Wilson noticed the monitors registered a rate of ninety beats per minute and nodded. "Your heart is racing as if you've just run a marathon."

"I told you," she said with a laugh. "Wouldn't yours?"

"Probably." Wilson walked to the door to give the couple a few minutes alone, but he recalled when they performed surgery on his brain and he was almost as nervous as Nora.

Meisner took the opportunity to kiss his wife. Then he glanced at the monitors. "That did nothing to calm you, but it made me feel better."

Wilson left and returned with a vase for the flowers. Hot on his heals was Foreman.

"So many male admirers," Nora said.

"We're just here for your brain." Wilson arranged the flowers while Foreman added his two cents.

"I'll be there tomorrow, gloved and suited up, observing in the operating room in case your doctor needs a consult."

"Thank you, Dr. Foreman."

* * *

Hadley reviewed the information the team unearthed about Melanie's father and her math teacher.

Magnani entered with his own news. "The homeroom teacher had the flu, a common variety according to the antibodies remaining in her system."

"So she's not the one who gave Melanie the disease." Hadley pointed to the file on Mr. Gardiner. "We should concentrate on him. If he was with the math teacher, that doesn't rule him out. They both could have been the source."

"But where did they pick it up?" Magnani shook his head and frowned. "I know parts of Detroit are like a cesspool, but have there been other reported cases of this there?"

"Don't forget Mrs. Gardiner," Chatterji said. "When we spoke to her, she couldn't explain why she left Melanie with a sitter while her husband was out of town."

"Wait, how do you know she left her then?" Magnani asked.

"Melanie told us." Simpson went to the whiteboard and wrote the names of the people they needed to investigate, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Kendall Storey, and the homeroom teacher, Joan Trevor.

"Don't leave out the babysitter." Chatterji found the note of what the girl said. "We don't know anything about her other than that she took care of Melanie while her parents were both gone. Melanie called her Lori."

* * *

During a break in her almost steady flow of patients, Cameron called the moving company that had promised to deliver her furniture and boxes that day. She reached a voicemail box and left a message, "If my belongings aren't delivered tomorrow, I'll spread the word for people to avoid using your company. In fact, maybe I'll come up there and load the truck myself." Of course, she didn't intend to carry out her threats, but she didn't know another way to light a fire under them. She was tempted to tell them she was getting another moving company, but all of her furniture was stored with them.

An hour later, her phone rang. "Deepest apologies, ma'am," a deep voice said. "Two of our trucks were broke down and three of our men are out sick. We'll be there with your load by tomorrow at five if I have to drive a truck there myself."

She didn't believe the story about the broken down trucks and sick workers but didn't say so. "Thank you. That's all I want."

"Yes ma'am. See you tomorrow."

She wondered if he really would drive the truck. There was more to what he said, but she had other mysteries on her mind. Like why Steve and Harve were in Shelby and if it tied into the double homicide. She'd spent her anger at the delivery man, so she could think about everything Steve said more calmly. He'd really been worried about his partner when she first met him. If it was an act, it was a totally believable one.

She went back to treating clinic patients, making the effort to focus on their ailments.

* * *

That evening at the diner, the booth was overflowing. The team had brought Chatterji along.

But House was more interested in what was happening with Steve. "Did he reveal anything you hadn't heard through channels?"

Anita shook her head. "Although he confirmed that he was afraid his partner was a traitor. That's why he was looking for him."

"They didn't happen to visit Africa or eastern Europe recently, did they? And then had contact with an eleven-year-old girl?" Magnani asked.

"It would be neat if all our mysteries tied together." Jacobs smiled.

Anita's mouth twisted. "Two of them might. When I asked Steve if he knew the victims of our double homicide, even though he denied it, there was something in his expression that indicated he did."

"Something?" House asked.

"He flinched when I mentioned their names."

They all stared at Anita while they absorbed the information.

"I left a voicemail for my former boss asking him to look into Steve and Harve's assignment. We're still investigating the couple."

Linda arrived with their food, and talk turned to the team's patient.

Magnani quickly swallowed his first forkful of spaghetti. "Unfortunately, her parents and math teacher weren't out of the country even if they were all out of town."

"There's a story in that, isn't there?" House snickered.

"I don't think we can talk about it," Chatterji said. "Let's just leave it."

"So you still don't know how the girl contracted the disease?" Cameron asked.

The team members, Chatterji and Hadley all shook their heads. "No one else around her is sick," Simpson said.

They dug into their meals. When Wilson finished his lasagna, he wiped his mouth and said, "Nora's nervous about her surgery tomorrow."

"Who wouldn't be?" House asked.

"Nora?" Chatterji asked.

"Dr. Meisner's wife," Cameron explained, but didn't go further. The rest might know about the hospital administrator's wife's condition, but Chatterji didn't.

"Guess that means another visit from our old friend, Dr. Eric Foreman." House faked a shiver.

"You didn't think that way when he worked for you," Wilson said. "Even when he took over your job."

"I bet Hadley's not especially happy to see him again." House shifted his gaze to her.

"Who says?" She grimaced. "We parted on good terms. I consider him a friend."

House summed it up. "A friend who we all hope stays in Princeton."


	38. Chapter 38

This was a fun chapter to write. Hope you enjoy reading it.

 **Chapter 38.**

Cameron sat next to Chatterji in the booth. She briefly explained their previous relationships with Foreman. "He was on House's team the same time I was, later he lived with Hadley for a while, and he took over as head of the Diagnostic Department in Princeton when House left."

Chatterji nodded, but still looked confused. "I expect I'll learn more about him."

"Probably not. He isn't staying."

The others had gone on to talk about House and Cameron's new house.

"Only one piece was damaged," House said. "A string broke on one of my guitars."

"How many do you have?" Chatterji asked.

"Five."

"House used them to decorate the walls of his apartment," Wilson said.

House glowered at him. "I played them sometimes."

"The piano made it safely?" Cameron asked.

"It has to be tuned, but yes." House pretended to play on the table.

Cameron smiled. "I talked to the company storing mine and it'll be delivered tomorrow."

"How'd you get them to do that?" House's eyebrows rose. "With all the excuses they gave, I wouldn't have been surprised if they put you off until next week."

"I threatened them. Will you go out to meet them? I'll get there as soon as I can."

House frowned. "I planned to be at the hospital for Nora's surgery, but it should be over by the time they arrive."

"The surgery is scheduled for nine," Wilson said.

Cameron crossed her arms in front of her. "I'll call them in the morning to confirm their time of arrival, and let you know."

House nodded.

"If he can't be there, I should be able to meet them," Anita volunteered.

"First find a way to release Steve." House called Linda over for a refill, then turned back to Anita. "He didn't do it."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"For one thing, he couldn't have," Cameron said. "He was talking to me at the time of death."

Anita shook her head. "That time isn't confirmed."

"Still, he wouldn't have the time to do it. I left him at the door to the room at twelve fifty. He reached the clinic less than five minutes later to say it looked like Harve was dead."

* * *

The conversation resumed the next morning over breakfast. House and Wilson were in a hurry to leave for the hospital to witness Nora's surgery, and the team had a few people to check with, but they all wanted breakfast and to learn whether there were developments in Harve's murder.

"Anderson agreed that Steve Holder didn't have time to commit the murder, so he was released into my custody." Anita looked at her watch. "I left him in his room changing his clothing. He should be here any minute."

"You don't think he'll skip out on you, do you?" Simpson asked.

She shook her head. "He's relieved to be free." She smiled. "Here he is."

Magnani pulled over another chair, and Anita introduced Steve to everyone. "No need to memorize names. There won't be a test." But her quip didn't help Steve relax.

"You hear anything from your boss?" House asked.

Steve frowned and nodded. "He's coming here today to help investigate Harve's death."

"Can you tell us who you work for?" Hadley asked.

"I expect former agent Morrow will recognize him, but I'd rather not say." Steve looked up when Linda arrived with a few breakfast plates.

"Coffee?" she asked him after she deposited them in front of House, Wilson and Cameron.

"Please. And I'll have what she's having." Steve pointed to Cameron's plate, then appeared puzzled with everyone laughed.

When the laughter died down, Anita said, "It would help to know why you and Harve were here."

He shook his head. "You'll have to wait for my boss to arrive. I can't answer that."

"I know I ask you before about the couple who were murdered a few days ago. Perhaps if I showed you their pictures it would jog your brain." Anita picked up her purse.

"Do you always do interrogations in front of all these people?"

She smirked. "Touche. Okay, you and I will have a private conversation after breakfast. Everyone here has someplace else to be."

Reluctantly, Jacobs changed the topic to who everyone thought gave their patient her disease.

"Has to be the father," House said between mouthfuls.

"But he was with the teacher," Jessica argued.

"My monies on the mother." Simpson stabbed a forkful of pancake, dripping with syrup. "Instead of following the father and his mistress, she went off somewhere to meet her own paramour."

Cameron shook her head. "Why not the other teacher? I believe the other three. Otherwise they wouldn't have admitted to their actions."

"Or it's someone we don't know about, someone you overlooked." Wilson sipped his coffee.

Through it all, Steve looked more and more confused until Anita took pity on him. "Their patient has a rare disease that's not usually found in this country. They're trying to identify the person who transmitted it to the girl."

He nodded. "So that someone had to have been out of the country less than a month before the child became ill?" At several nods he turned back to Anita. "I'm sure you've done all you can to find out if anyone close to the kid was in Africa?"

"Yes. Or Eastern Europe, maybe Asia." She shook her head. "No record of any of them going anyplace except Detroit."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up. "But if they were on a flight with someone who'd been exposed, that would work, too."

"I knew I liked him." House smiled. "Yes, especially if they sat next to him. Or her."

"So how come we haven't heard of a rash of these cases either here or in Detroit?" Wilson burst that balloon.

Anita nodded. "And it would mean checking everyone on the manifests of six flights. Not something the PD in the town could handle."

"But I bet Steve's company can, and so can your former outfit." House looked smug. "I say you both try."

"We're not her doctors." Steve scratched his head. "Let me think about it. Maybe I can bring it up with my boss when he shows."

* * *

Anita was tasked with accompanying Steve everywhere, but he was happy to wait for his boss at the diner. Over multiple cups of coffee they sat there and talked about working for rival agencies, nothing top secret, just the day-to-day activities, the endless waiting, the false leads.

At eleven, a tall sandy-haired man entered, looked around, smiled as his gaze fell on Steve, but when he saw her, his eyes widened. He strode toward them. "You still here?"

"Aren't you with the EPA?" she countered. "Switched agencies."

"Something like that."

"Nothing's like that." She stood and looked at Steve. "Curt's your boss?"

"Yes." His brows drew together. "Is there a problem with that."

She grimaced. "Not a problem exactly."

"For a small town, there's plenty of action here," Curt said.

Anita crossed her arms. "And I – we'd all like to know what action brought Steve and Harve here."

Curt shook his head. "Above your pay grade, especially since you changed jobs and the rest of your friends are doctors, if I'm not mistaken."

"If Steve and Harve's assignment had anything to do with the murders of two of the citizens of this town, it's my business to know." Anita stood her ground. "Sit," Anita commanded, but didn't take a seat until Curt and Steve had. "Now, why is this all such a hush-hush secret?"

"Anita, you know I can't divulge details of an ongoing investigation."

"Don't forget," she pointed to herself, "we're looking into Harve's death. If we don't know what you know, it's very likely we'll end up working at cross-purposes."

Kurt rubbed his face. "This is turning into the biggest mess I've ever dealt with."

"Let me help, then." She crossed her arms.

"Why, so you can stab me in the back again?"

"Me? If anyone did any stabbing, it was you." She stood again. "Maybe I shouldn't help you."

He motioned with his hand. "Sit down. Sit down." Once she did, he went on. "If I didn't respect your abilities, I wouldn't breach protocol to read you in."

"Go on." She narrowed her eyes.

"The couple whose murder you're investigating were Harve's contacts."

"The Audin's? But we investigated them and didn't find anything unusual in their backgrounds."

"They were good," Curt said.

"So Harve killed them?"

"No, no. At least I don't think so." He shook his head. "That wasn't the plan for us, and I assume the people they worked for didn't expect Harve to do that."

"Perhaps that's why he was killed." Anita tapped on the table. "If he killed them instead of giving them the intel he'd been paid for, they wouldn't be too happy."

"I suppose."

She tapped her spoon three times. "When did you learn Harve was a traitor?"

"Last week. It was one of the reasons I insisted he and Steve stay here rather than come back to D.C." Curt rubbed his forehead. "Frankly, Anita, this has all turned into a shambles."

"So Harve and Steve here in to identify spies? Steve's not a traitor too, is he?"

"Oh, no. That wasn't why they were here in the first place. Well not exactly. And Steve's a straight shooter. I don't think he shot Harve."

"Thanks," Steve said.

Anita smiled. "Of course not."

"They were here to investigate a young woman named Loralei Shepherd, a college student, and not coincidentally, the granddaughter of the Audins."

"Loralei." Anita couldn't believe how everything was tying together. "Is she nicknamed Lori?"

"Huh?" both of the men said.

Trying another approach, Anita asked, "Do you know if she's been out of the country recently?"

"Loralei? Yes, I believe she was. She met with..."

Anita held up a hand. "I don't have to know the particulars, especially if you're uncomfortable telling me. Just where. Africa? Asia? Eastern Europe?"

"Northern Africa. Why?"

She shook her head and laughed then rubbed her face with her hands. "The team's patient is suffering from a disease that might have come from there. The kid's teenage babysitter is named Lori. How much you wanna bet it's the woman Steve and Harve had under surveillance? The granddaughter of victims whose murder we were investigating. Next we'll find out that you're somehow mixed up in why Dr. Cameron's furniture delivery was delayed."

"Huh?"

"Just kidding. I have to make a call or two. Stay right there." She stood and walked to an empty table. First she called Remy.

* * *

Nora was wheeled into the OR where her gowned doctor, Granger the hospital's top neurosurgeon waited with a few nurses, an attending, an intern and Dr. Eric Foreman.

"Dr. Foreman, you'll only be observing." Granger surveyed the surgical team.

"Of course. But if you need any help, I'm right here." Foreman flashed a smile. He glanced up to the viewing area. Three men were there, Wilson, Dr. Meisner and, of course, House.

Once Nora was sedated, they began. It was delicate surgery to remove the growth without affecting any of the rest of her brain, but Granger was skillful. He worked meticulously for two hours or more, finally declaring, "Close her up." It was hard to tell, but he seemed to be smiling under his mask.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

While Meisner went to the recovery room to wait for his wife to wake up, House and Wilson headed to the cafeteria.

That's where Foreman found them. "That went well."

"What did you expect? This is a first rate hospital with first rate doctors." House smiled.

"So's PPTH," Foreman said.

"When does it reopen?" Wilson asked.

"They're rebuilding the sections that were damaged, and at the same time putting in upgraded computer and communication systems." Foreman went off and returned with a cup of coffee.

"Guess you won't be working for a while." House smirked.

Foreman shrugged. "Princeton General always has patients for me. I'm not complaining."

* * *

Remy called the team into her office after Anita's phone call. "Let's focus on the babysitter. It looks like she's a spy and was recently in North Africa. That is if her name is really Loralei Shepherd."

"We'll check with the mother," Magnani said. "She should know."

"How'd you find out?" Jacobs asked.

"Anita talked to Steve's boss and found out they were watching the Shepherd girl." Hadley grinned. "And get this. She's the granddaughter of those people who were killed."

"Wow!" Simpson shook his head. "So everything is connected, our patient, the mysterious death of that couple, and Harve's death. Unbelievable."

"Let's go find the babysitter and test her to see if she's carrying the disease."

"And how many other people she's had contact with, infecting them."

The team left Hadley before she could tell them what else she knew about Loralei.


	39. Chapter 39

I love it when the pieces come together.

Chapter 39.

Wilson left House in the cafeteria to go back to his patients. He realized how much he'd worried about Nora's surgery, and now that it was over, he walked to the elevator with a smile on his face.

It vanished when he came face-to-face with Foreman. "I thought you left after you talked to us in the cafeteria. Your job here is done."

"I was glad to be there and to watch Granger in action. Now I see why Meisner wanted him to perform the surgery."

"Well, I have other patients to tend to." Wilson started to walk by, but Foreman pulled on the sleeve of his lab coat.

"Don't think I'm trying to get a job here." He pressed his lips together.

"I didn't."

"Good. 'cause I'm not."

"So? Why are you still here?" Wilson asked.

"I understand House is starting a practice in Shelby."

"He is." Wilson grimaced as he realized what Foreman wanted. "He's already hired his staff. There's no place on his team for you."

"So I shouldn't approach him?"

Wilson wondered why Foreman hadn't said anything when he saw them in the cafeteria. "Foreman, if you know what's good for you, you'll skedaddle back to New Jersey as fast as your car can take you."

Foreman's face fell to his chest then he shrugged. "Just thought I'd ask."

"Well, now you have."

Foreman nodded and walked away.

* * *

Chatterji and Simpson found Mrs. Gardiner at Melanie's side. The girl was sleeping.

"What can you tell me about your babysitter?" he asked.

"Lori? She was recommended by a neighbor." She smoothed her daughter's blanket.

"What's her full name? Where does she live?" Chatterji asked.

"Um, I think her last name's Sheffield. Something like that. We just called her Lori." She smiled as Melanie opened her eyes. "Right honey?"

"Lori's fun, more fun than Mrs. Jenson." Melanie was flushed, but her vitals were stable.

"That's another sitter we use, but she spends the winter in Florida." Mrs. Gardiner paused. "I don't know where Lori lives. We only have a phone number to call."

"We'd like to speak with her. Can we have the number?" Chatterji asked.

Mrs. Gardiner fished her phone out of her purse and turned it on. "I'll check my list of contacts." Once she had it, she showed the number to them.

The name she had was Lori Shepherd. They exchanged a knowing glance.

* * *

Anita, Curt and Steve were also looking for the young woman.

"Last place we saw her was a supermarket," Steve said.

"Do you know where she lives?" Anita asked.

He shook his head. "She left. We checked there just before Harve was killed. It was one of the reasons I didn't think we should stick around here"

Anita was confused. "You said your job here was over and you were headed to Baltimore."

"We hadn't found anything to prove she was a spy and hadn't made the connection to her grandparents." He shrugged. "We had no leads to her whereabouts, even if she was a suspect in her grandparents' death."

"The Audins. Lil and Nate." Anita nodded. "And you didn't know that Harve was a double agent?"

Steve shook his head and stared at Curt. "My boss didn't tell me."

"We weren't sure about you, especially since you hadn't unearthed anything suspicious about Loralei Shepherd. You could have been in on it."

"So you kept me in the dark." Steve glared. "That could've gotten me killed," he shouted. "Did you have someone watching us?"

"That was going to be my next step. Then Harve was killed, and I realized it was time for me to step in personally." Curt smiled at Anita. "Good to be working with you again."

"Hmmm." She wasn't sure. In the past, Curt had gone behind her back on one case and took credit that belonged to her on another.

"Aw, c'mon. You can't still be mad about the Lexington case."

She raised her eyebrows. "Let's see how cooperative you are on these."

Her phone jingled. "Hello?" she answered.

"It's Simpson. We got a phone number for the babysitter from Mrs. Gardiner. Thought you'd want it."

"Sure do. Shoot." She jotted down what he said. "Thanks, Bart." She hid what she'd written from Curt and Steve. "Just one of my colleagues with information about another case."

Curt watched her through narrowed eyes.

* * *

House left the hospital at two and went straight to the Harbor Rd. house. The moving van hadn't arrived with Cameron's furniture, but he let himself in and made himself comfortable in the living room. He'd decided her things would be useful in the family room and the guest bedrooms. Cameron would have to live with that.

He'd turned on music and stretched out for a snooze when the doorbell rang. Will had programmed it to play the tune House picked, so he smiled as he went to answer the door. Instead of the delivery guys, Pete stood on the porch.

"I was headin' out ta fix the tiller on my boat and stopped ta see if'n you was here." Pete grinned.

"Come on in. You're my first visitor. I'm just waiting for Cameron's furniture to be delivered." House ushered the older man in. "Got some beer in the refrigerator."

Pete stood in the entryway taking in what he could see from there with wide eyes. He whistled. "Quite a place you got here."

House led him into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, taking out a beer for each of them. He handed one to Pete and continued on to give Pete a complete tour. Pete eyes remained wide and his jaw dropped a couple of times.

They finally settled in the living room. "Gotta hand it ta you, Doc. This is some house."

"You're welcome to come by any time," House said. "And of course you're invited to our welcoming party next week."

Pete grinned. "Bet it'll be a big shindig with all the big shots in Shelby."

Color drained from House's face. "I hope not." But with Cameron running for a seat on the council, it was possible.

The doorbell rang. House glanced at his watch as he loped to the door. The delivery truck had arrived. A tall and hefty black man smiled at him, but his smile morphed into a puzzled frown. "Delivery for Dr. Allison Cameron?"

"She'll be here soon," House said. "I'll show you where to put all that. Any living room furniture goes in here." He led the driver to the family room with Pete trailing behind.

The driver nodded. "There's just two of us. My other driver and one of my guys are still out sick."

"They seem to have been sick for a long time. This load was supposed to be delivered on Monday."

"Yeah. Caught some mysterious flu or something. Be right back."

House's mind whirled, gears engaged, synapses firing. "Can't be," he said to himself. He shook it off and continued to direct the two men. Pete stood by all the while, making comments like, "Nice chair," and "Ugly couch."

"Everyone's a critic," House muttered to himself. He tried to remember if any of Cameron's furniture was missing. He'd never seen anything beyond the living room and kitchen of her apartment in Princeton, so he was relieved when she drove up.

Cameron grinned as she came through the door. "They actually came."

"Yeah. The other driver and moving man are out sick with a mysterious flu, according to the driver,"

House said.

She nodded. "I think he's the owner of the company." Her eyes widened. "Wait, did you say mysterious flu?"

House nodded once. "That's what I said."

"Now where have I heard about that recently?" she quipped.

House changed the subject. "Pete likes your recliner but isn't a fan of the couch." He led her toward the back of the house.

"You had them put my furniture in the family room?" she asked. She crossed her arms and looked at it. "Yeah, that'll work."

"And the bedroom pieces are in one of the guest rooms."

"Actually, this fits well here." Her smile broadened when she spied Pete asleep in the recliner. "Including our friend."

"Yeah, well, I'm not so sure I want him here permanently."

A voice interrupted. "We're finished, ma'am."

Cameron turned to the driver, as he held out the final paperwork for her to sign, showing she'd received everything he'd stored for her. She scanned the list. "The wooden box?"

"It's in the room where we put the bedroom furniture."

She looked at everything in the family room and then walked to the bedroom where she checked everything again. Finally, she turned to the man with a smile, signed the papers and handed them back to him with a generous tip. "Thanks for bringing my stuff here yourself. I hope your staff gets well quickly."

He smirked. "Me too. It's definitely hurt our business." He nodded once and left.

* * *

Wilson wasn't the first to arrive at the diner that dinnertime. Anita, Steve and Curt had returned after inspecting Harve's room for clues (and not finding any). "I think we need a bigger table," Wilson said as he joined them.

"Dr. Wilson, I don't think you've met Curt Sawyer." Anita indicated the man. "He's Steve's boss."

The two men shook hands, and Wilson nodded at Steve.

"Any progress on Harve's murder?" Wilson asked.

"We're not certain yet, but it's possible the granddaughter of the Audins killed them and Harve."

Wilson whistled.

Curt held up a hand. "Anita, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I don't mind you sharing information with your new boss, but your doctor friends don't need to know."

"My doctor friends have been very helpful with my investigations so far. Our investigation also connects with Remy and her team, or at least their current case."

Wilson smiled at Jessica when she arrived. "All quiet at the vet clinic?"

"It may be the only place in town with normal activity." She sat next to him. "We're gonna need a bigger table."

"I already said that." Wilson introduced her to Curt.

Linda stopped by to say, "I could set up a long table between the booths and the counter if you want."

"Nah, cozy's fine," Jess said. "I'll have an iced tea. It's cold out but my throat is parched."

"You're a doctor too?" Curt asked her. "Working with vets?"

Jess chuckled. "I'm a veterinarian. And yes, we've had a few dogs that either work with service vets or are veterans themselves."

"I hadn't realized that," Anita said. "But it's not surprising." She hoped Hadley and the team wouldn't say anything about Lori when they walked in.

* * *

When Pete woke, he left House and Cameron alone in a house that was finally beginning to resemble a home.

"We can stay here for dinner." House pulled Cameron down on the family room couch.

"Is there anything in the refrigerator besides beer?"

"Oh ye of little faith. I'll have you know it's fully stocked. I can make you a grilled cheese sandwich or a turkey sandwich. Or maybe a roast beef sandwich."

She laughed. "House, can you believe it? This is our house, full of our things, plenty of room for the two of us."

"And we have beds and couches to christen."

She kissed his bristly cheek. "Oh, yeah!"

"A couple of tables too."

"Maybe. But they're not as soft."

He shrugged. "Beds first, then."

"Right. But hadn't you offered me a sandwich?" She traced his jaw with a finger.

"If you insist." He stood and held out a hand.

She took it, and they walked to the kitchen.

"You sure a sandwich is okay?" he asked.

"Our first meal in our new house. Sure, it'll be fine and from now on it'll be our special go-to meal to celebrate with."

"I wouldn't go that far." He smiled as he got out the bread, cheese and butter, assembled a couple of sandwiches, and popped them in the toaster oven. "Want a beer while we're waiting?"

"Yes, actually that'd be perfect." She sat down at the table, feeling quite content.


	40. Chapter 40

Wishing all my readers a wonderful holiday and everything they hope for in 2019.

 **Chapter 40.**

House and Cameron returned to the family room. "Pete might not like your couch, but it seems comfortable enough to me." House pulled Cameron down on it.

"It doesn't open," she warned.

"That's okay." He cupped her chin and pressed his lips to hers. His hand wandered down to the soft skin of her neck and then lower, reaching into her blouse to the swell above her lacy bra. Her hands slipped around him, pulling him closer.

He unbuttoned her blouse and reached around to unhook her bra to caress her breasts with his palms and his lips. He stopped only long enough to slip on protection.

Cameron finally abandoned all her thoughts and just enjoyed the moment. The touch of his fingers, the warmth of his body, the scent that was his alone, part musk and part the soap he washed with. She let go of all control to this man she trusted with her life, her body and her heart. The only thing she held back were the words hovering on her lips, "I love you."

Their bodies joined in pleasure, each eager to reach the pinnacle of release. And as they both shuddered at the end, they grinned at each other.

They lay in each others arms for fifteen minutes, until House sat up suddenly. "I'm still hungry."

Cameron laughed. "Why don't we get some pie at the diner? The other rooms can wait."

They dressed again and left their new home for town.

* * *

"Did you find out any information on Loralei?" Anita asked Hadley.

"Who's Loralei?" Jess asked.

Jacobs turned to her. "Our patient's babysitter and the granddaughter of the couple who were killed,"

"Right." Anita nodded. "We have to find her for a number of reasons."

"She's no longer at the address the Gardiners found for her. We called her number and left a message on her phone as Melanie's doctors, but so far, no callback." Hadley turned a frowning face toward Anita.

"So now we don't know whether she's the murderer or another victim." Curt snarled and slapped the table. "Frankly, this case was botched from the very beginning."

Steve held up his hands. "Hey, I'm not the counterspy. It's all Harve's fault." He mumbled, "God rest his soul."

"So let me get this straight," Wilson said. "This missing girl is the patient's babysitter?"

Simpson nodded. "And was in North Africa so she may be the one who contracted the disease and transmitted it to Melanie."

Wilson nodded to indicate he'd gotten that part. "And the same girl is the granddaughter of the murdered couple and might have been the one who killed them?"

"Yes, and Harve to boot," said Anita. "The couple were Harve's contacts, but we don't know whether Loralei was involved in espionage or not. Even though Steve and Harve supposedly had her under surveillance."

"Hey, she never did anything sneaky and never even tried to contact her grandparents," Steve insisted.

Wilson nodded. "Next you're gonna say Cameron's furniture delay is somehow related."

House and Cameron picked that time to arrive. "You got that right," she said.

Everyone else stared at them.

"The owner of the storage and moving company had to bring everything out himself because his usual driver had a mysterious flu and so did another deliveryman." Cameron emphasized mysterious flu.

Wilson shook his head. "Couldn't be. Just a coincidence."

"Like the other ones?" Anita asked. She turned from Wilson to Cameron. "Did he say what kind of flu it was?"

"No," Cameron said. "There's no way to confirm that this is connected with the team's patient or Loralei."

"And we still can't find her."Anita rubbed her temples with both hands.

Hadley unwrapped her napkin and utensils. "I'm still hoping she'll return our call, but if she's the murderer, it's doubtful."

"What do we know about her?" Wilson asked.

"She was recommended to Mrs. Gardiner by friends." Simpson began to tick off on his fingers. "She's not at the apartment where she'd been living."

"Is it in the same complex as her grandparents?" Jess looked from Hadley to Anita and back again.

Hadley shook her head. "No. It's south of Shelby, between Shelby and Snow Hill."

"Is there a way to trace her cell phone?" Simpson asked.

"We can try, I suppose." Curt didn't look hopeful.

"Then let's do that." Anita insisted.

Curl glared at her.

* * *

House and Cameron returned to their new home. They hadn't brought all of their clothing and other necessities, but they still had a few rooms to christen.

House took one look at Cameron's face and stiff shoulders, and knew she was upset about something. "What's wrong?"

"All that talk about Loralei being the murderer doesn't ring right for me. I sense somehow that she's a victim as much as anyone here."

He frowned. "You think she's dead too?"

"Or being held by someone else."

"She's still the most likely person to have passed on the infection to the team's patient."

She nodded. "That's true."

"Well, we're not as equipped as Anita and those alphabet agency guys to find her or help her if she needs help."

"I guess not."

"You need a distraction." He pulled her close, stroked her back and shoulders.

She sighed with pleasure as she relaxed. "I wonder if I should find out more about the flu that affected the moving guys."

"There you go again, wondering whether it's connected to the other cases."

"Aren't you wondering about that?" She pulled back. "I know you. It's just your kind of puzzle, and you won't rest until you've unraveled it."

He shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it at this hour."

"Maybe there is. We have contacts at Princeton General." She sat up straight and took out her phone.

When someone answered, she said, "This is Dr. Allison Cameron. I wonder if I might speak to Dr. Bethune or someone else in Infectious Diseases."

"Dr. Bethune has left for the day, but Dr. Levy is available. Let me connect you."

Cameron smiled as she waited for a deep voice to say, "This is Dr. Levy. The receptionist said Dr. Cameron. Allison?"

"Yes, Arthur." She remembered the older doctor from meetings in Princeton. "I'm glad I caught you. Listen, we have a very sick girl here. She contracted Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever a couple of weeks ago and we're tracing who might have passed it on to her. Have you seen any cases?"

"Funny you should ask."

"Does that mean there have been?" Cameron's eyes brightened, but she still didn't believe it could be.

"Yes, and not just one," Levy replied. "We had a couple of students from Princeton show up two, three days ago and then two men who work together."

"Let me guess, they work for Ace Storage and Moving." Cameron watched House's eyebrows shoot upward.

"How'd you know? Better yet, what do you know?" Levy sounded worried. "Should we be prepared for more cases?"

"All I know is we have one case here. We think the carrier is a college student, but not one from Princeton. Frankly, I don't know where she goes to school, but she had an apartment south of Shelby, Maryland."

"What are you telling me?"

"I can guess how she passed the disease on to other students. I knew about the two men, but not when or where she was in contact with them. And, since we don't know where she is now, I can't tell you whether or not you'll have more cases."

"Well, thanks for the warning at least. I'd begun to wonder what the connection here was."

"How are the patients doing?" she asked.

"The men came in early, so we were able to treat them. They'll be fine. One of the girls is in stable condition, but I'm worried about the other."

"I know you can't give me names, but is either of them named Loralei or Lori?"

"No. Is that the missing girl?"

"Yes. If you get any more cases, please call me."

"Sure thing. How's the kid you're treating?"

Cameron wasn't going to admit she wasn't Melanie's doctor. "The girl here is also stable."

* * *

"That guy, Curt." Hadley opened the door to their apartment and entered with Anita. "How well do you know him?"

"As well as I have to."

"Does he have the skill to find the girl?"

"Skill to find her, yes." Anita shook her head. "But he'll probably botch any interaction with her. He has no finesse when he interrogates anyone. Usually pisses them off so he doesn't get the intel he needs."

"But that's not the only reason you don't like him."

Anita chuckled. "How did you guess? That's a rhetorical question. Yeah. He tends to take credit for whatever his partners or subordinates did. I still don't understand what he's doing in the CIA."

"He was working with the CDC when he was here last, wasn't he?" Hadley asked.

Anita nodded. "He seems to jump from one agency to another the way a frog jumps on lily pads. I think I'll have to look for the girl on my own."

"My team will help. They have as much interest in her as you do. Maybe more." Hadley looked at Anita's face. "You're not going to be able to do anything tonight until you make some progress, are you?"

"No, I guess not. Maybe a mindless movie will be just the thing to allow my mind to work through all we know so far."

Hadley pulled out a few DVDs, then turned on Netflix instead and scanned the lists upon lists they could choose from.

Anita chuckled. "Admit it. Nothing will satisfy you now, not a rom-com, not a thriller, not even a medical drama."

"I don't like medical dramas."

Anita smirked. "So why have you been watching so many lately? But even one of those won't take your mind off your patient and the unknown number of others that will be infected if we don't find Loralei soon."

Hadley nodded slowly. "Anita, is it possible that she's been hospitalized somewhere with the same disease Melanie has?"

"Yeah. You're right. That's an avenue we haven't explored." She grinned. "Leave it to a doctor to think of it. But now Snow Hill. You would have heard if she was there."

"We can check the hospitals in Salisbury and Baltimore."

"Virginia Beach too," Anita suggested.

They each took out their phones and started making calls to all the area hospitals.

* * *

"I'm glad Melanie is getting better." Jacobs got out of the car at the team's house.

"We just have to find her sitter." Simpson unlocked the front door, and they trooped inside.

"That's not our job." Magnani removed his coat and hung it and Jacobs' in the hall closet.

"Yes it is." Simpson frowned. "If we're responsible doctors, we have to prevent the disease from spreading. The only way is to find the carrier and anyone she's had contact with."

"Anita and that other guy, Curt, have the means to find her," Magnani argued. "We don't."

Jacobs put a hand on his arm. "But we have to try."

"I'm sure Chatterji will agree with that," Simpson said. "If we work together, we'll find out who actually transmitted the disease to Melanie."

"That I can agree with." Magnani smiled.

"How are you getting along with her?" Jacobs asked Simpson.

"Okay, I guess. We work well together. But I don't think anything romantic will happen."

"It will if you want it too."

"Yeah, Bart. She's smart and pretty. What more do you want?"

"I still don't know her that well." Simpson hunched his shoulders. "Give me time, okay?"

"Sure. We won't continue to bug you. Well, I know I won't. Don't know about Heather." Magnani laughed.

Simpson just nodded.

* * *

Wilson opened the door to the apartment he shared with Jessica. "I'm glad we're not mixed up in that who mess with Steve and his boss, and the teams' patient."

"Are you?" Jessica smirked. "You're as curious as House about the babysitter and where she fits in."

He shrugged. "Nothing I can do about it. Anita can handle it."

"Yes, I guess so." She grimaced.

"What?"

"I wish there was something we could do to help." She walked into the living room, and he followed.

"Jess, you stick to your sick animals and I'll stick to my cancer patients, and let the others deal with it." He kissed her and they settled on their couch to watch TV. But after five minutes she stood and took out her phone. Pacing the small living room, she waited for someone to pick up. When they did, she said, "Yes. Sorry to bother you so late. This is Dr. Simpson. I'm, ah, I'm calling about any cases of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever you might have had recently. We have a case at Snow Hill Methodist and we're looking into anyone else the carrier was in contact with."

Wilson watched her, his nod indicating he understood what she was doing.

"This person at Salisbury General says someone already called."

"Guess someone else had the same idea we did."

"What I don't understand is why Steve and Harve were watching the girl in the first place."


	41. Chapter 41

Happy New Year. May 2019 be full of everything wonderful.

 **Chapter 41.**

The next morning, everyone at the diner breakfast table talked at the same time, reporting the results of their phone calls the night before.

House held up one hand and put two fingers of the other in his mouth to whistle. "We might get further if we take this one at a time." Instead of starting with Cameron, since he knew everything she did, he asked Anita if she had more intel.

She glanced at Hadley. "None of the hospitals we called had patients with the disease, but now they're alerted to look for any."

Jacobs nodded. "We found out the same thing, but wondered why Steve and Harve were watching Loralei."

"Good question." Anita stared up at Steve and Curt who'd just arrived. "Perhaps you can enlighten us?"

Steve shook his head, and glared at Curt. "We never knew. Our boss never told us."

Everyone waited with curiosity for Curt to reply.

"What I can tell you is that she'd made several trips to North Africa and the Middle East in the last six months." Curt hesitated, but intensity of the stares forced him to reveal, "We routinely monitor anyone who travels to those places."

House thought there had to be more, but didn't push.

"So it was just routine?" Anita's eyes were narrowed.

Curt crossed his arms. "Yes."

"Well, I have news," Cameron said, breaking the tension a bit. "Princeton General has four cases."

Simpson stopped stirring his coffee. "The moving men?"

Cameron nodded. "And two college students. I can see that the students might have had contact with Loralei but perhaps you can investigate the two men."

"I can't believe that everything's connected. It's like a science fiction story or something," Magnani said.

"At least now we have a lead." Hadley smiled as Linda brought their food.

"Do you suppose Loralei is in Princeton?" Jacobs asked.

Cameron sipped her coffee and swallowed. "Or someone else infected the people there, but if there's a connection between any of the four and the girl, it would point to her as the carrier."

"So how do we find out whether they know her?" Simpson stabbed at a piece of sausage.

"The only way might be to ask them," Wilson said.

Anita nodded and smiled. "And meanwhile, we'll see if we can track her down in Princeton."

"Guess this means we're off to New Jersey," Curt said.

"We?" Anita grimaced. "You can take Steve. I have to check in with my new boss before I can go gallivanting anywhere."

Jacobs checked her watch. "Time we left for the hospital." She took one last bite of her eggs, wiped her mouth and stood.

That signaled Simpson and Magnani to do the same.

"I'll be there shortly," Hadley told the team as they left.

HHH

Now that they'd mostly moved into their new home, House turned his attention to the work on his new office. "I hope I won't run into a connection to the cases on Hanbury Street, besides my third floor tenants," he told Cameron before she left him to go to the clinic.

"We've had enough coincidences for a while." She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"So you're not going to spend your time mulling this over?"

"Are you?" She chuckled. "I'm satisfied that I've done all I could. It's in the feds hands now, and Anita's." She walked backwards for a few feet, waving at him, then turned and continued to the clinic.

House got in the car and drove to Hanbury Street. The pickups parked in front of the building indicated that Will and his crew were already hard at work.

He admired the new railing along the steps then climbed the three stairs to the front door. He opened the door to a racket of drills, hammers and a circular saw mounted on sawhorses. Over the noise, he asked for Will. Seth pointed toward the office and mouthed, "He's in there, putting up paneling."

House smiled to himself as he made his way through the debris and around the workers. The unmistakable odor of sawdust and wallboard filled the area.

Will smiled at him when he entered the relative quiet of the office. A young man with sandy hair, made sandier-looking still by the dust, was helping Will nail in the wood sheets that would make the office seem more professional.

"Making quite a bit of progress, I see," House said. "No one out with a mysterious illness here."

"I'm sure there's a story behind that crack." Will pointed his hammer at the one finished wall. "We'll stain this when we're done. Hope this is what you had in mind."

"Definitely. So far so good, but you're not finished yet."

Will laughed.

"We're moved into the house on Harbor Rd. So far so good there too."

Will continued laughing but shook his head. "Doctor, I suppose I've enjoyed working for you, but sometimes I'm not sure whether or not to take you seriously."

The front door opened, footsteps approached the office and the real estate agent who sold House the building, Diane Bancroft, walked in. Her mouth hung open as she looked around.

"You should see the upstairs apartments." House smiled, watching her.

She stared at him. "Apartments? That you've been able to lease?"

"Well, yeah. To friends looking for a place to live," he admitted. "They fell in love with the joint."

"I'll have to check your mortgage to confirm you can do that." She narrowed her eyes.

His smile broadened. "If you remember, I bought the place for cash. No mortgage."

"Right. Then city ordinances." Her eyes narrowed even more so that they were almost closed, as if she was trying to remember something. "I just stopped by to see how the renovations were going."

"Oh, they're going."

She nodded and turned to leave, but stopped in the doorway to turn back. "When you have some time, I'd like to talk to you about something." She finally left. "In private."

House's eyebrows raised.

HHH

Between patients, Cameron returned a call to Dr. Levy at Princeton General. "Any new developments?"

"You wanted to know if a young woman name Loralei or Lori was hospitalized with the hemorrhagic fever the others have," he said. "At six thirty this morning a man who wouldn't give his name brought her in. He refused treatment for himself and disappeared, so he's still out there."

Cameron took a minute to process the information. "At least we've located Loralei. Can you describe the man?"

"I wasn't the one on duty at the time, but the intern who was said the man was tall with dark hair and a thin mustache. She tried to get him to stay, but the minute her back was turned, he disappeared."

"I'll let the people investigating Lori know." She's start with someone she knew, Anita. "Is Loralei in a condition to be questioned?"

"Not now, but the treatment we used worked on the other four patients, so I expect they'll be able to talk by tomorrow," Levy said.

Cameron thanked him and said, "Anita Morrow or two men named Steve and Curt will contact you." She couldn't remember Steve's last name and wasn't sure she ever knew Curt's.

"Right. I have to go, but I'll keep in touch."

Cameron immediately called Anita with the new information. "I didn't know if I should try and contact Steve and Curt, but I was sure you'd want to know." She didn't have to add, and I trust you.

"They're already on their way to Princeton to talk to the other patients," Anita said. "I'll let them know that Lori is be there too. Thanks for all your help on this. I'm just about to leave myself."

"Happy hunting."

Anita barked a laugh. "Thanks again. I'll let you know what happens."

Cameron ended the call feeling she'd done what she could. But while she was examining her next patient, an elderly woman with severe arthritis, Cameron's phone buzzed in her pocket. She helped Mrs. Hanover out to her waiting daughter. "She'll need to exercise her legs every other day to strengthen the muscles so they can support her aching joints. I've given her a list." She tapped the paper in the woman's hand.

"Thanks, Doc. Let's go, Mother."

Cameron watched them leave, then turned to Carol. "Send the next patient in at two o'clock." Her watch said 1:50. That would give her ten minutes to take care of this phone call.

The voicemail was from Pamela, reminding her of a speech she was to give that evening at the high school to new voters including students who'd turned eighteen. Her campaign was still on.

HHH

"Now that the guys from Washington are on Loralei watch, we can get back to treating our patient," Hadley told the team. They sat around the conference table.

Jacobs smiled. "Right on it."

"I'll let Chatterji know everything that's happening." Simpson stood and left.

Jacobs and Magnani were right behind, but they were headed to Melanie's room.

The girl greeted them with a big smile. "Hi." Then her brow furrowed. "Where are Dr. Simpson and Dr. Chatterji?"

"They're on their way," Magnani said. "How are you feeling today?" Her readouts said she was doing better.

"A little better." Her mouth twisted into a frown. "I can't believe I got this from Lori."

"We're not sure of that yet, but it seems likely," Jacobs said.

"But she was so fun."

"That doesn't mean that she was sick and didn't know it. Did you ever think you had a cold, but it was really flu and you passed it on to one of your friends?"

Melanie shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, it's like that. She didn't give it to you on purpose, understand?"

Simpson arrived but without Chatterji.

"Where's Anaya?" Jacobs asked.

"She's with another patient. She'll meet us here when she's finished."

"Hi Dr. Simpson." Melanie grinned at him.

He made a face by blinking his eyes three times, then crossing them.

She laughed. "You're so funny."

"Who me?" But he laughed too. "You're looking better today."

She nodded. "I feel better. Dr. Jacobs said Lori didn't make me sick on purpose."

"Of course she didn't. We're afraid she may become sick too, so we're trying to find her." He tilted his head. "Did she ever say anything about friends in New Jersey?"

"Is Princeton there?" Melanie asked.

"Yes it is. Did she mention someone there?"

"Her favorite cousin, Janie, goes to school there. Lori wished she could too." Melanie frowned as she seemed to think about it. "Janie must be really smart, even smarter than Lori. She said it's a really hard school to get into."

"Yes, it is," Simpson said.

Chatterji joined them, but looked distracted.

"What's wrong?" Simpson asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing you can help with. Just a patient."

"We're doctors, remember. Maybe we can help."

"But Melanie isn't a doctor." Chatterji finally neared the girl's bed. "I can see you're better today." She smiled. "It's good to see you so wide awake."

"What I have, it's serious, isn't it?" Melanie asked.

"Yes, but you're getting the right treatment for it, so you're improving." Chatterji crossed her arms.

"Isn't your patient getting the right treatment for what's wrong with them?" Melanie asked.

"Smart, too." She flashed a smile. "But that little boy is none of your concern." She tousled the top of Melanie's head. "You concentrate on getting well so we can send you home."

But Melanie shook her head. "I don't want to go home."

Glances among the doctors. Jacobs asked, "Why not?"

"Mom said she's going to divorce Dad. My friends told me what that's like." She shuddered and started to cry.

Jacobs put an arm around her. "Both of your parents love you and they'll make sure you're okay."

Melanie shook her head then buried it in her pillow.

Simpson took a step closer. "Mel, your life may become more difficult, but that's why we have to get you as well and as strong as we can before we send you home. Can you help us do that?"

Melanie sniffed in and looked up. "How can I help?"

"First of all, we prescribe eating all your favorite things." He glanced back at the others. "How about I bring you some pizza or a cheeseburger?"

"Oh, yes, can I have pizza?" Melanie brightened immediately. "I don't like what they brought me for breakfast, and I bet lunch will be worse."

"Sure thing. Pizza coming up. Do you want anything on it?"

"I usually have pepperoni but plain's okay too." She sniffed again. "I'm sorry I'm being such a baby but…"

"That's okay," Chatterji said. "When you're sick it's harder to cope with changes in your life."

"But when you're well, you'll be able to adapt to anything that happens." Simpson winked at her.

HHH

Wilson had enough time between patients to check in on Nora. "I'm surprised your husband isn't here."

"He left five minutes ago."

"You look like you're well on your way to recovery."

"I was afraid the surgery would affect my memories, even though the doctors assured me it wouldn't. But I can remember everything and everyone."

"Any headache?"

"Very slight, but not like the ones I used to get, always at the most inopportune moments, too." She smiled. "I believe by next week I'll be good as new."


	42. Chapter 42

Ready for the next chapter?

 **Chapter 42.**

House and Diane sat at the otherwise empty booth at the diner. Everyone else was working somewhere. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I…I have a problem." She held up a hand. "Not medical."

"Then why are you asking me? I'm a doctor."

"I know. It's just…"

"Out with it, woman!"

She took a deep breath and let it out. "It concerns Dr. Cameron. I know you're close to her."

"Ye-es?" He still didn't understand what she wanted from him.

"She's running for the town council, right?"

"Yeah, you know she is."

"Well, I'm now a town employee."

House was beginning to understand, but knew there was more. So he remained silent.

"She'll have some say about the town budget and that will impact our salaries."

"I wouldn't worry about it. You know the kind of person she is. She'll want to pay people based on their contribution to the town." He smirked. "Now, if I was the one on the council." He wiggled his eyebrows.

She laughed.

* * *

The team and Chatterji rode the elevator to the cafeteria floor. They'd left Melanie with her mother. Each of them grabbed coffee or tea and sat at one of the empty tables.

"You mentioned another patient," Simpson said to Chatterji. "Is there something we can help with?"

She started to shake her head. "But I would like to use the three of you as a sounding board. My colleague in Pediatrics, Dr. Frasier, thinks the six-year-old boy has a severe case of flu, but I think it's probably the polio-like acute flaccid myelitis. He's not responding to the usual treatment for his symptoms."

"What are the symptoms?" Simpson asked.

"Fever and tiredness of course, but also muscle weakness," she replied. "We haven't seen any cases of AFM here, but since there are cases all over the country, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Did you want us to examine him? To give a second opinion?"

"Frasier won't like it, but sure, I'd love it."

They finished their drinks, and the team followed Chatterji out. In the elevator, Jacobs said, "House and Cameron are having an open house at their new place next week. Why don't you come with us, Anaya?"

"Do you think they'd mind?" She looked surprised.

"Mind?" Jacobs chuckled. "It's an open house. Anyone can go."

"Sure, I'd love to."

They reached the room. Chatterji's patient lay very still. The small boy was sitting half way up and had his eyes closed, but opened them when they approached. "Charlie, these doctors are friends of mine. They came to say hello."

"Hello." His voice was weak.

Chatterji handed him a cup of water. As he drank it, some dribbled down the sides of his face.

"Should I sit you up more?" Simpson asked.

"I'm sitting up."

The doctors exchanged glances. The fact he couldn't tell if he was sitting up or not wasn't good.

"I know you're a big strong boy," Simpson said. "How about you grab my two fingers and squeeze them with all your might?"

The boy wrapped a small hand around two of Simpson's fingers and squeezed them.

Simpson smiled at him. "Now with the left hand."

That had performed the same act.

"Aww, you can squeeze harder than that."

The boy shook his head. "Can't."

"Well, good try." Simpson winked at him.

* * *

By that evening, Anita had reached Princeton. She'd arranged to meet Steve and Curt at the hospital, but when she arrived, she found they'd already been and gone.

"Dr. Allison Cameron suggested I speak with Dr. Levy," she told the nurse at the desk in the infectious disease department.

"Anita Morrow?" she asked. "He's expecting you."

Anita showed her credentials and was led down a long hall to Dr. Levy's office.

He stood when he entered and held out a hand. "You must be Anita. Welcome to Princeton General."

She nodded but didn't smile. "I understand my colleagues were already here."

"Yes. The two moving company men had nothing to tell them, and the two college girls weren't much more help. They know Loralei, saw her recently. Said she came to Princeton to try to apply for next semester."

"And Loralei?" Anita asked.

"She's still not conscious. When she was brought in, she was delirious. Once we began treatment, she settled into an easy sleep and hasn't woken since."

"I'd like to talk to the moving company guys." It seemed logical that Loralei knew the other two, but where had they met her? Eventually, she'd ask them if they knew the man who brought Loralei in.

The men were in a double room. One was asleep, but the other sat up, playing solitaire on the portable table.

"Mr. Hernandez? Hi, I'm Anita Morrow. You may have met my colleagues, Steve and Curt, earlier."

"Yeah, they were here. Had all sorts of questions I couldn't answer." He scowled. "Where's my doctor? I gotta get out of here. Get back to work so I can put food on the table for my family."

"You have a family? How many kids?" Anita asked.

He focused on her. "Why're you asking?"

She shrugged. "Just trying to be friendly." She whipped out a photo of Loralei. "Do you know this girl?"

Hernandez took it and held it close to his face. "Yeah. She looks familiar. Might be the girl lookin' for a job at the storage company. The one where I work. Boss took a liking to her, but told her he'd call if he had an opening. As if. It's a small company, ya know? No need for a receptionist or whatever."

"So your boss didn't hire her. And you only saw her one time?"

"She hung around for a while. Prob'ly hoping the boss'd change his mind."

* * *

Cameron pulled up the speech she'd already given a few times, and tweaked it so it would be appropriate for first-time voters. She briefly wondered whether Hannah, Chrissy or Rachel would be in the audience, but she didn't dare peek at the audience.

She hadn't had time to stop at the diner for food, and her stomach churned even more than her mind. She paced the waiting area just off the stage where the talk would take place. What was she doing running for town council of a place she'd lived in less than two years? What made her think people would vote for a relative newcomer? She wrung her hands.

Pamela smiled as she approached.

"Who else is speaking tonight?" Cameron asked.

"Will and two other candidates. You met them at the debate, Sam Garcia and Frank Overton."

Cameron remembered them, especially how belligerent Overton seemed."What about Otto Robertson? Isn't he still running against Will for mayor?"

She grimaced. "He said he had more important things to do than address sniveling, and that's the word he used, teenagers."

"That reflects badly on him."

"Yes it will." Pamela grinned "The reporters will be sure to mention it."

"Reporters." The town had a weekly newspaper and a local radio station.

"Allison, there were reporters at the debate. They were impressed with you." She patted Cameron's hand. "You could tell from their reports."

"What ever happened to Sheila?" Cameron asked.

"You didn't know." Pamela sounded surprised. "She dropped out of the race after the debate. Seems she couldn't take the competition."

"Why did you ever talk me into running? What qualifies me? I've only been here twenty-two months. Maybe I should drop out, too."

"You're as qualified as anyone already on the board and more qualified than Overton or Garcia." Pamela squeezed her shoulder. "You care about Shelby, not the fame and power the position will give you."

With a sweaty hand, Cameron picked up the speech she prepared. She'd memorized it, read it four times to herself, but would she remember the points she wanted to make when faced with a crowd of strangers?

House strode up to her, and her confidence soared. He believed in her, thought she could do the job. "Go get 'em, Cameron," he whispered in her ear.

Her mouth twitched as she listened to Anna introduce the panel for the Q&A session. She took a deep breath, let it out and followed Garcia onto the stage, waving at the audience. She sat, trying to make out individual faces in the crowd, people she knew, and was surprised to find how many that was. As the clinic doctor, she'd interacted with more people than she realized.

"Unfortunately we're missing a couple of the candidates for town council, but first I'd like each of the candidates to stand, give their name and a little about themselves." Anna smiled at the four people who were present and motioned for Will to lead off, since he was running for Mayor.

Cameron thought she knew all there was to know about the man, but he surprised her when he said he sang in his church choir. Overton stuck to his business career with an overbearing haughtiness. She was next.

"Many of you know me from the clinic here in town. I've treated your colds and flu, your broken bones and arthritis, and a few ailments I won't mention." She gave her academic credentials and mentioned her stints at PPTH and a hospital in Chicago. "I'm a relative newcomer to this town, but it's the best place I've ever lived, and I hope to spend the rest of my life here, tending to your medical needs and getting to know even more of you and your desires for this town."

She paused to take a sip of water. "Close to half of you are first time voters. This country was founded on the principle of rule by the people and for the people. That means that elected officials should listen to the public and make decisions based on the greater good of the people not on what's best for me. It's a participatory government where we each have the responsibility to vote for the candidate that best represents our views and interests."

Garcia stared at her as she sat, but rose when Anna called on him.

* * *

Anita entered Loralei's room that evening at Princeton General once she was alerted by Dr. Levy the teen was awake. She didn't think she'd get more out of her than she had from the storage company men.

"Lori? My name's Anita Morrow." She smiled. "How are you doing today?"

"Okay, I guess."

"I've met Melanie Grainger, the kid you babysat three or four weeks ago." Technically that wasn't true, but Lori couldn't know that. "She's in the hospital, too. I think with the same thing you have."

"Really?" Lori's brows came together. "Did she give it to me?"

"Actually, we think it's the other way around." Anita paused to let that sink in. "Why did you go to Africa a month ago? And also three months before that?"

"Is that where I got this?" She pointed to the tubes bringing meds and nutrients to her, but didn't answer the questions.

Anita tried another tack. "Do you know this man?" She held up an artist's rendition of the man who brought Lori to the hospital.

"That looks like Cliff. He's all right. Did he bring me here?"

"Yes."

She smiled and nodded. Then closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

* * *

Once the panel each introduced themselves, they took questions from the audience.

"How can we improve the education our kids get?" a woman asked.

Overton spoke first. "We will stick to the state mandates on curriculum and testing. Kids need goals. If those goals are stated up front, they'll work towards them."

"We have to recruit the best teachers," Will said. "We already have a fine group of teachers at all levels, but unfortunately, a few have moved away, and six will retire this year. We have to replace them with the same level of ability. To attract good teachers, we have to pay competitive salaries. The same goes for all the people working in and for our town."

He received a standing ovation. Cameron believed it was partly from teachers, but she agreed with him and said so. "To add to what Mr. Davis said, our schools also need updated equipment. We should be able to provide textbooks, especially for those students whose families can't afford them. Compared to the amount of money this town spends on beautifying our roads, the amount that would take is minimal. Give the schools good teachers and good tools to do their jobs and we'll improve education."

"What about crime in our town?" a man called out.

"What about it?" Cameron asked, eliciting a few chuckles.

"We have to toughen our laws, make the penalties for disobeying them so prohibitive, it'll curb crime in no time," Overton said.

"Frankly, our crime rate is low for a town this size," Cameron said. "We have a fine chief of police. I've seen his staff in action, and I can tell you, they are fast, efficient and effective. Personally I feel very safe here."

"What about the vandals?" Garcia asked her.

"They've been identified and apprehended. Their trials should be soon. Contrary to what Mr. Overton said, the prescribed penalty in Shelby for what they did is equivalent to the penalty elsewhere in the state. Unfortunately for them, they were apprehended committing another crime, so their penalties will be compounded. But they are young men, and I believe they can be rehabilitated. I hope they earn their GED diplomas while incarcerated."


	43. Chapter 43

Here's another chapter. Next weekend I'll be selling my books at Albuquerque Comic Con, so I doubt I'll have a new chapter for you next Monday.

 **Chapter 43.**

As House and Cameron entered the diner the next morning, Linda approached her. "Heard you did real well at the meetin' last night. Beat that Frank Overton to a pulp." She grinned.

"What else did you expect?" House grinned too. "Cameron's a shoe-in for the council."

Hadley was already there and so were Wilson and Jessica. They all smiled, and Hadley pointed to her phone. "The local news is full of stories about what you said."

Cameron shrugged. "I only said what I thought. This town is important to everyone who lives here."

"Don't get her started." House rolled his eyes.

"Where's Anita?" Cameron asked Hadley.

"She stayed in Princeton overnight. Finally talked to Lori, her friends and the storage company guys, but she's still tracking down the man who brought Lori into the hospital. He's either a patient or a carrier by now."

"What about the killing of Lori's parents?" Jess asked.

"Anita's still looking into Lori's part in that." She snickered. "Apparently, Curt is waiting for her to resolve everything so he can take credit for it."

"But Anita won't let him," Wilson said.

"No. She won't." Hadley grinned.

"And your patient?" Cameron asked. "Since we weren't here until late last night we hadn't heard anything."

"She's doing better. I told the team they could take their time going in today, although they seem to be helping Chatterji with another patient."

That was a cue for the team to arrive so the discussion could start all over again. Eventually, it turned to Chatterji's patient.

"She's afraid to go against the head of her department, but I think she's right about him," Simpson said.

* * *

Anita woke in a strange bed, a motel but not Zach's. She frowned to find she was alone. No Remy.

If she could finish up the case, she could be home before night. A shower and breakfast got her ready for another day of questioning. She hadn't asked Loralei the previous day about her grandparents' murder. Time to do that, and to find the man Loralei called Cliff.

The girl was sitting up in bed when Anita arrived. She remained pale, though.

"Loralei, you said the name of this man is Cliff?"

She nodded.

"Do you know his last name?"

Her eyebrows touched and her eyes narrowed. "I think it's like Valentine, but it isn't. Valetti maybe?"

"Has he been to Shelby or Snow Hill recently?"

"No." She coughed. "Why do you wanna know?"

Instead of answering, Anita asked. "What do you know about your grandparents' deaths?"

Her eyes wet with tears. "I miss them so much."

"Did they know you went to Africa? Did they send you?"

Through the tears, Loralei looked puzzled. She sniffed. "I don't think I told them I was going. I…I went to see Salah." She pressed her lips together as if to keep any more words inside.

"Loralei, I don't want to get into your personal life, but I need to know why you went to Africa four times in the last year, and who you saw there."

"I only went once. In August. To see Salah."

"And who is he?"

"My…my boyfriend. Only he hasn't called since early October."

Anita nodded. The girl was likely as innocent as she seemed. "Did you ever give Salah your passport?"

"Huh?" But in less than a minute, Loralei slapped a hand to her mouth. "He only it long enough to register me at the hotel where we stayed in Marrakesh."

"Loralei, you're smart enough to know what probably happened." Anita waited for Lori to make the connection.

"They copied my passport and used it for someone else to come here and go back." She closed her eyes and started crying again. "How could I be such a fool?"

"Lori, focus, getting back to your grandparents, when did you see them last?"

"For my birthday in July. No, wait, I visited them for their anniversary later the same month. Since then, we talked on the telephone sometimes, and Grandma sometimes texted me."

"Did they travel a lot?" Anita asked.

"Yeah. I used to envy them. They went to so many interesting places. When I went to Africa, I thought I was just like them." She shivered. "Now they can't go anywhere ever again."

"Lori, do have any idea who killed them?"

She shook her head. "If I did, I'd tell you, but they never told me the names of any of the people they worked with."

"What do you think they did in all those interesting places?"

"Did? They bought the jewelry they imported for their business."

"They were in the jewelry business?" Anita hadn't been told that.

"Yeah." She reached for her upper chest and her eyes widened. "It's gone!"

"They probably put any of your valuables in the hospital safe." Anita stood and opened the bedside cabinet and pulled out a bag with clothes in it. "Are these yours?"

"Yes."

Anita poured everything on the bed. A small plastic envelope fell out containing a watch and a chain. She pointed to the chain. "Is this what you're looking for?"

Lori nodded and smiled. She reached for the bag and smile wider. "It's all here." She pulled out the locket that dangled from the chain.

"May I see?" Anita held out a hand.

Lori looked at her treasure and gave it to her.

Anita slid a nail between the two halves and opened the locket. Inside were miniature pictures of two people. "You grandparents?"

The girl nodded.

"When did they give this to you?"

"Last July for my eighteenth birthday." She smiled even though tears had begun to flow again. "They'd just come back from a trip."

Anita looked at the locket more closely. She used the same fingernail to remove one of the photos. Nothing behind it, nothing written on the back.

Lori bit her lip. "What are you doing?"

"I'm curious why your grandparents gave this to you."

"Because they wanted me to have it."

"Yeah, but why? Did they ever ask to see it again afterwards?"

Lori looked at her as if Anita was crazy. "No!" But she must have remembered something. "Grandma liked to touch it whenever I visited. She'd smile and say, 'you still have it,' and I'd say, 'of course.'"

Anita replaced the picture of Lori's grandmother and removed the one of her grandfather. There was nothing there, but behind where it had been, three words were inscribed on the locket. Cейчас и навсегда. "Always and Forever," Anita translated. "Any idea what it means? Did your grandparents ever use the phrase?"

Lori shook her head then rubbed her neck. "It hurts to do that."

"I'm not going to keep you any longer. You need your rest." Anita looked at the inscription again, replaced the photo and handed the locket back to Lori. "If you think of anything else you can tell me about your grandparents, here's my card." She put it on the table next to the bed and left.

* * *

As they were leaving the diner after breakfast, Cameron told House, "Tonight I'd like to come up with invitations for our party."

"Just post something online, or better yet on the bulletin board here." He pointed toward the diner.

She frowned. "It's an open house, but I don't want the whole world to know about it. Only our friends."

"Which includes most of the people who frequent this place."

"True." She sighed. "I'll think about the best way. Just trying to find something for you to do today."

"Oh, don't worry about me. There's plenty for me to do."

But once she'd walked away towards the clinic, he realized he was at a loss. He drove out to the house. Had to smile every time he walked through the door. He headed for the piano, but now that he had it here, he didn't have the urge to play. Maybe a guitar. He took an acoustic one down and strummed for a while, but it wasn't enough.

He rehung the guitar and picked up a book, then a medical journal, but felt the need to do something, not read about it.

He left the house, got into the car and drove toward the pier. No one was around. He turned back toward the town. Everyone was busy, working. He didn't have an office, a patient, a puzzle to solve and it was driving him crazy.

Automatically, as if he drove there on purpose, he ended up at the hospital parking lot in Snow Hill. He parked then wandered the halls for a while, found himself in the conference room, the scent of Simpson's aftershave and dry-erase markers bringing back memories of past cases. But the whiteboard was empty, no symptoms, no possible diseases. And the team was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

With Hadley and the team as back-up, Chatterji finally told her boss, Dr. Frasier, what she thought was wrong with little Johnny Pendleton.

Frasier was a large, imposing man. He seemed to fill his office. His brown hair was beginning to gray and he had a matching mustache. "Chatterji, I told you what the boy has. Let it go." He made a point of noticing her reinforcements. "Bringing another department in on our cases is bad form. I've told you about that before. We have the case well under control." The volume of his voice rose with each sentence.

"And when he doesn't improve, when his symptoms increase?" She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

"I tell you they won't. Now, you've overstepped your authority for the last time." He picked up a file folder and a pen. "I'm taking you off the Pendleton boy's case. That's all. You're dismissed." He waved them all away. But they stood their ground.

"This isn't the military, it's a hospital. If you don't do what's best for our patient, I'll…" She hadn't come in with a contingency plan, but Simpson provided her with one. "She'll take it to Dr. Meisner." She smiled at him.

Unfortunately, Frasier was not impressed. "As if he'd listen to you instead of me."

Chatterji turned on her heels and stormed out, a deep scowl on her face. Simpson rushed after her, while Hadley, Jacobs and Magnani stayed behind.

"Is this how you treat your subordinates?" Hadley asked. "Do you ever listen to their suggestions? In this case, I believe Dr. Chatterji is correct. Treat the boy based on your diagnosis and he'll never get better."

"He'll probably get worse," Jacobs said.

* * *

Out in the hallway, Chatterji had stopped at the nurse's station to take deep calming breaths. She felt Simpson's hand on her shoulder and turned a weak smile his way. "Thanks for having my back in there."

"Anytime, Anaya. Dr. House could be a bastard at times, but he always listened to our ideas. Frasier's just a bully."

"Were you serious about going to Dr. Meisner over this?" She shook her head. "I wouldn't want to bother him with something so…"

"… so trivial? Except, this isn't trivial. It's the life of a patient. Of course you should bring it to his attention." Simpson seemed to notice where his hand was and took it off her shoulder.

"But what would I say?" She shook her head. "I don't want to lose this job."

"You'll tell him that you and Frasier had a disagreement over a diagnosis, and you're afraid the boy won't receive the best treatment."

Hadley, Jacobs and Magnani joined them as he described her best approach. "Are you talking about what she should say to Meisner?" Hadley asked.

She nodded and continued to face Simpson. "What do I say about Frasier's behavior?"

"I'm not sure how much you should complain about Frasier." Jacobs crossed her arms.

Hadley agreed. "Focus on what's best for the patient, not on how Frasier acted."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Simpson asked.

Chatterji considered his offer. "Maybe walk me to his office."

"We'll be interested to hear what he says." Hadley smiled at her and led Jacobs and Magnani back to their office. They still had a patient, but they should look for another.

They were surprised to find House there. "Did you forget you don't work here anymore?" Hadley asked.

He smiled. "Hope you don't mind I came to use the space. Just sent my hooker on her way."

Hadley smirked at him. "At loose ends, huh? Well, why don't you make yourself useful and find us a new case?"


	44. Chapter 44

Finished another chapter. Here it is.

 **Chapter 44.**

After her latest talk with Lori, Anita called Curt to update him on what she'd learned from the teen and the two moving company men.

His antagonistic voice said, "We're handling the case. Go on back to your little town and stick to the crime there."

She looked at her phone with disdain. "First of all, the murder of Lori's grandparents happened in our 'little' town, so that's my jurisdiction. I have no proof that you should be meddling in that case."

"They were spies."

She bristled. "Again, you haven't shown me any proof of that. All I know is that Steve and Harve were sniffing around Loralei. From what I just uncovered, it's obvious she was used." She smiled. "Oh, and Harve was also killed in my town."

"You know what will happen if you interfere in a federal case," he spat out.

"No, tell me. What'll happen when your boss and my ex-boss get together, when they discover I was the one who uncovered important intel and got a lead on the murder investigations." She pictured the two men meeting over drinks at a D.C. bar. "You should be covering your tail on this one, Curt." She wondered why she'd ever started a relationship with the man, and was glad it ended so quickly.

"Don't call me again," he said.

"I don't intend to." She smiled as she ended the call. Now she was free to pursue her leads. He'd freed her of any obligation to share what she learned.

She called her former boss and apprised him of the situation. "I want to make sure you agree that I should be working on this separately from Curt and Steve."

"We both know how Curt works. Don't know how he wangled a transfer from the CDC to the agency, and at such a high level, but don't worry. I support whatever you do. As you say, the crimes happened in your locale. I expect your current boss agrees that you pursue the murders, both the spies and the agent."

"Thanks. I needed to hear that after talking with that sleaze, Curt."

"Anyway the FBI can help?"

"I'm still trying to track down the man who brought Loralei to the hospital. She says his name is Cliff, but she wasn't sure of his last name. Valentine or Valetti. Something like that. Also, the man in Marrakesh, Salah, who had her passport copied. Whatever you can find out about either one."

* * *

Chatterji and Simpson reached Dr. Meisner's office. Miss Lembach greeted them with a smile. "How can I help you?"

Chatterji held back, so Simpson said, "Dr. Chatterji would like a word with Dr. Meisner. That is if he's not busy."

"Oh. Let me see." Lembach pulled something up on her computer, likely Meisner's schedule. She frowned. "He does have the next…" she glanced at the watch on her wrist, "… the next fourteen minutes free. Will that be sufficient?"

Chatterji took in a breath and let it out. "I believe so." She looked at Simpson.

He nodded encouragement.

"Can you tell me what this is about?" Lembach asked.

"A disagreement with my boss and the survival of a patient." Chatterji pressed her lips together and crossed her arms.

Lembach nodded. "Go on in." She pressed a button and the door to Meisner's office buzzed. "It's not locked."

"I'll wait here." Simpson sat on a couch along the wall.

Chatterji had met Dr. Meisner once during her first week at Snow Hill. She doubted he remembered her. But she stood tall and marched into his office.

"Dr. Chatterji, what can I do for you?" He indicated a chair for her to sit across his desk.

"I'm worried about a pediatric patient. My examination of the boy and his blood tests and scans indicate he has acute flaccid myelitis. Dr. Frasier insists it's just the flu and that's what we're treating him for." She looked at her fingers. "I guess I wanted your advice. What can I do to protect Johnny Pendleton, to treat and cure him?"

"You told Frasier your diagnosis?" the administrator asked.

She nodded. "He refused to consider it."

"I'd heard he tended to be egotistical, but he's an excellent doctor. I'm surprised he didn't come to the same conclusion you did." Meisner put his hand to his chin. "Do you have inconclusive proof the patient has AFM?"

She handed him her folder of test results then watched as the older doctor looked through them carefully.

Twice his eyebrows rose. Three times he nodded. When he'd finished, he nodded again. "I can see why you diagnosed him with AFM. I'm inclined to agree with you. May I hold on to these?" He indicated her folder.

"What are you planning to do with them?"

"I think Dr. Frasier and I are going to have a little talk." He smiled at her. "Thank you, Dr. Chatterji. I appreciate your candidness."

"Thanks for your time." She returned his smile and left, pleased with the outcome. So far.

* * *

Hadley faced House in the conference room. "The head of pediatrics won't let Chatterji treat a patient, and especially not us. Melanie is improving rapidly. At the moment we're looking for a new case." Hadley pointed to the stack of folders on her desk. "Feel free to help us go through these. Maybe you'll even find a case that intrigues you."

House looked at the stack. "What's up with Chatterji and Frasier?"

"He won't entertain her ideas on the case. He's treated the boy for flu, but it's clearly something more serious."

"And Chatterji stood up to him?" He grinned. "Good for her."

"Yes, well, he's taken her off the case because she questioned him, but she's gone to Meisner to fulfill her threat to do so."

Jacobs looked up from a file she'd been reading. "Actually, it was Bart who brought up Meisner's name. He went with Chatterji to the Administrator's office."

"Something brewing there?"

"Between Bart and Anaya? I should say so." Jacobs grinned.

House feigned shock. "So he's over you?"

She blushed. "He knows Rocco and I are together."

He nodded. "Well, what are you all waiting for? There has to be an interesting case in this stack of files."

"Actually, I think I found one." Jacobs held up the file she'd been reading.

* * *

Between patients, Cameron looked at party invitations online. None of them fit. She'd have to design one herself, and get House's approval of course.

Carol knocked on her door. "Got a minute?"

"Sure, for you anytime."

"The baby's doing well in his daycare, so I wondered whether you wanted me full-time yet."

"Definitely. Naomi is still coming in, but House should be opening his new practice soon, and she'll be working with him. The two of you work well together, so I certainly welcome some overlap."

Carol let out a sigh. "That's a relief."

"Carol, you should have known you could ask me about that."

"We're thinking about buying a bigger house." She bit her lower lip. "Seth is still working for Will, but we could use the extra income."

"Not a problem. When do you want to start?"

"On Monday?"

"Great. House wants to open for business in two weeks, so that should work out well." Cameron pointed to the online invitations on her computer. "And while you're here, maybe you can help me design an invitation for our party."

"I'd love to."

* * *

Jacobs read out the facts about the patient she'd found. All the while, House made faces, and it was obvious he found the case boring.

"It's beneath your skills." He followed the underhanded compliment with. "She has Wilson's disease. End of story."

A disappointed Jacobs put the file on top of the other rejects.

House mostly watched the team shuffle through files. At noon he gave his seal of approval to a case and escaped to get lunch, hoping he'd find his BFF so Wilson would pay for it. He missed his games almost as much as the puzzle of the case.

Sure enough, the oncologist was taking the last bite of his turkey sandwich. House sat down and took the two remaining French fries on the plate. Wilson grimaced but didn't say anything.

"Good, you're done. Now you can get another round for me." House pointed his finger at the empty plates on the table.

Wilson closed his eyes and seemed to be counting to ten. When he opened them again, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Helped my former ducklings go through files to find a new patient." House grinned as he stood and motioned to Wilson to do the same. "C'mon. I'm getting hungrier by the minute."

* * *

The case House found for the team concerned a twenty-two-year-old woman with a sudden hearing loss. Previously, her hearing was excellent, but she'd been reduced to perceiving only sound waves at high frequencies. Several diseases could account for the change, but they generally affected older people.

Although they had a blood workup for her from her primary care physician, Jacobs and Magnani collected blood and urine and brought them to the laboratory. Meanwhile, Hadley arranged for and MRI and other scans of her ear canals and auditory nerves.

Simpson and Chatterji returned to the team's conference room to find them gone, although Jacobs had hastily written a note saying they'd found their next case and were doing the preliminary tests.

"I don't know what to do now," Chatterji said. "Frasier took me off the case, but didn't assign another one to me."

Simpson shrugged. "Maybe you should go back to Pediatrics and find out if you were given another patient."

"Bart, I'm scared. I shouldn't have shot off my mouth to Frasier."

"Why not? He had it coming. I bet my team gave him an earful after we left, too." He smiled.

But she was still frowning. "What if Frasier convinces Dr. Meisner he was right? What'll I do then?"

"You can always come work with us." Simpson took her hand. "Keep in mind that Dr. House is opening a private practice and will need good doctors to work with him. I can put in a good word for you."

Her eyes opened wide. "Dr. House scares me almost as much as Frasier."

"The difference is, House will listen to your opinions."

"Did I hear my name?" House strode in.

"I was just telling Anaya you might be looking for a doctor as good as she is."

House smiled. "You did, huh? Why? Did Frasier fire you?"

"Not yet." Chatterji bit her lip.

"Look, I know Meisner. He knows talented doctors when he sees them. He won't let Frasier fire you."

"Thanks for the pep talk." She forced a laugh.

"But if you don't want to work for him anymore, yes, I'll probably take on a doctor or two. Already have a receptionist and lab guy." He glanced at Simpson. "Let me know."

* * *

With help from Carol, Cameron came up with an invitation to the open house. One stiff cardboard stock in an offwhite color with the simple words: You're invited to help Gregory House and Allison Cameron celebrate their new home. The address and times were given. That was it. No embellishments. Cameron expected it would meet with House's approval. She hoped so, anyway.

They'd worked on it between patients all afternoon. Meanwhile, Naomi covered the entry and waiting room, interrupting whenever a patient appeared. Luckily, there weren't many.

Cameron printed it out on plain white paper and brought it to Naomi. "What do you think? I'll have it printed on heavier paper but this is what we came up with."

"How about another font? Nothing too fancy, more dignified, you know?" Naomi suggested. "I like how straightforward it is."

Cameron looked at it again. "Yeah, I'll play with that before sending it to the printers."

"Are you using the office supply place in town or a printer in Snow Hill?" Carol asked.

Cameron sighed. "Oh, dear. This is turning into a big project."

"And you haven't even started on decorations and food." Carol chuckled. "Good thing the town will put together the celebration for the new mayor and town council members. You won't have to worry about that."

"I hadn't even thought about that." Cameron's brow furrowed. "Do you think it's a good idea to have this open house just before election day?"

"Sure. You may not have heard, but Overton is holding a dinner at the hotel and only the crème de la crème of Shelby are invited."


	45. Chapter 45

Thanks for the great comments.

 **Chapter 45.**

At dinner that night, Jacobs reported, "Our new case turned out to be a more routine DDx than we've had in a while."

"Routine, but complex." Magnani smiled. "Just how we like 'em. Lots of tests and conflicting results."

"Where are House and Cameron tonight?" Jessica asked.

"Probably testing out their new kitchen," Jacobs said.

"And every other room in their house," muttered Magnani.

"Don't get crude." Jacobs couldn't maintain the angry look she gave Magnani.

"Isn't Anita back yet?" Wilson wanted to know.

"No. She got a few leads today that she couldn't follow up." Hadley frowned. "We're hoping she can be back tomorrow."

"Leads on how Melanie's babysitter picked up the disease?"

Hadley nodded. "And also on what was going on with her grandparents."

"What about the murder of that other guy, Steve's partner?" Magnani asked.

"She'll let the agency guys take care of that, even though it happened here in Shelby."

* * *

Anita ate another dinner alone at the restaurant closest to her motel. Definitely not as good as Mo's. She thought about visiting Loralei, even though the teen had already told her everything she knew. Or thought she knew. Anita was haunted by the words in the locket. She also had an inkling Lori knew more than she was conscious of. Things that happened when she visited her grandparents, or they told her. And where did her trips to Africa come in? Were they connected? Was she inadvertently delivering something more than her passport?

She pushed the last of her lasagna around her plate, thinking about all she had to do the next day. When the waiter came, she paid for her meal, then grabbed her jacket and headed out into the cold and her car.

The hospital wasn't far. This was something she could do at night. Maybe Lori thought of something else.

Evening visiting hours had just begun. She took the elevator to Loralei's room and smiled to see the girl was awake.

Loralei smiled back. "Miss Morrow. I'm glad you came back."

"Did you remember something else?"

"No, but it's kind of lonely here, ya know?" Her eyes pleaded with Anita to stay.

Anita considered that a rhetorical question. "You don't have any family here in Princeton, do you?"

Loralei shook her head slowly. "Guess I don't have any family left at all."

"You mean with your grandparents gone."

"Yeah. My only friends in Princeton are in other rooms in the hospital. They won't let us visit each other. Thank goodness they let us use our cellphones."

"So you spoke to the two other girls." Anita tried to be patient.

"Did I give this to them too, like Melanie?"

"It's possible." No sense making the girl feel guiltier than she had to. "You're sure you never heard your grandparents say 'saychas ee navsegda'?"

"Is that what the locket says in Russian? It sounds familiar." Her eyebrows knit as she seemed to think about it. Suddenly, she smiled. "That's something Grandma used to say to Grandpa. I didn't know what it meant."

Anita suspected it was some kind of code. Maybe a recognition their spy cell used. "Did she ever say it to anyone other than your grandfather?"

She nodded. "Only one other person that I remember. A man. He was tall, had blond hair. And a mustache. You could hardly see it because it was so light. He wore a plaid shirt."

Anita sat up straighter. "You sure? A plaid shirt and blond hair and mustache?" She hoped she could get a photo of Harve and have Lori confirm he was the man.

"That's what I remember."

"Thanks, Lori. That's a big help." And something else to do the next day. "What did they talk about with the man?"

"They sent me out of the room when he was there." She bit her lip.

"But you heard them anyway."

"I wasn't eavesdropping or anything."

"I didn't think you were." But that was exactly what Anita thought. "What did they say?"

"Something about not wanting to do this anymore."

"Who said that?"

"Grandma." She sniffed. "I miss her."

"Of course you do." Anita chose her words slowly. "Lori, were they talking or arguing."

"Arguing I think. That's why I heard them. Their voices were very loud."

Maybe the girl told the truth when she said she wasn't eavesdropping. "Well, thanks again. Is there anything I can bring you? Magazines or a book?"

"If you can get into my room, I was reading this dreamy romance novel." She gave Anita the title.

"If I can't get it from the dorm where you were staying with your friends, I'll get you a new copy."

Loralei smiled. "I want to finish it. Don't know how much longer I'll be kept cooped up in here."

* * *

Cameron had picked up their dinner-to-go from Mo's, planning a quiet meal for just the two of them at the house. House collected her from there and they drove out Harbor Road from the center of town.

"Guess you decided on party invitations without me," House said.

"I didn't think you were interested in designing them."

"You could have picked from standard ones and plugged in our names, the date and the address."

"I couldn't find any I liked or that I thought you'd be happy with." She stared at him. "Why the sudden interest in the party invites?"

He shrugged slightly as he they passed the High School. "Something smells good." As he hoped, that changed the subject.

"I got some of your favorites and didn't forget the pie." She indicated the bag of food in back. "You think they'll miss us at the diner tonight?"

"Will you miss them?" he countered. "I plan on being too busy to miss anyone."

She laughed. They turned down their lane and pulled up in front of the house. "You can pull into the garage."

"Speaking of which, we have to collect the Alfa from Mrs. M's." He opened the garage door and drove in.

"Maybe over the weekend." She grabbed their dinner from the back seat and they went inside, shedding her coat and taking the food to the kitchen. "Should I warm it up?" she called to House who'd remained in the entryway.

"If it can be warmed up later, we have a few rooms to christen, beginning with this one."

She returned to him. "This isn't strictly a room."

He'd kicked off his shoes. "Who cares about strictly." He reached for her.

She came eagerly into his arms but looked down on the floor. The entry didn't contain any furniture, but it had a tile floor in shades of tan and brown. When she looked up, House was already undressing her. She looked at him, decided they might as well continue and did her best to achieve a flirty smile. "If you're gonna be that way, tall and handsome, who am I to object." She let him undo her bra.

Her fingers were adept at unbuttoning his shirt and removing his shirt. Together they undid his pants, and he let them fall to the ground, stepping out of them.

He took her hands and kissed each of her fingers then placed them around his neck. He kissed her lips and her neck then back to her lips. They broke apart only to lower themselves to the floor, helping each other down. They sat at first, close enough to hug, then leaned back on the tiles. The floor didn't give like a mattress, but that meant when he press himself against her, she felt ever inch of him.

"Not as cold as I feared," Cameron said.

He pulled her on top of him and their bodies warmed outside and in. "Did I ever tell you… ," he began.

"What?" she prompted.

"What a great idea this house was?"

It wasn't what she expected and could have broken the mood, but she was far to excited. "Me too." It felt almost decadent, certainly a freeing departure from lovemaking on the couch at Edna's. The more stimulated she was, the easier it was to let go of any inhibitions. House's fervent loving brought out her passionate side. Skin to skin, lips to lips, they made love.

The heat they generated by their coupling could have warmed a small city. Ecstasy enveloped them, carrying them to the top. It left them sweaty and satisfied.

Their work-out in the entryway made them both hungry. Cameron insisted on detouring to the bedroom for a soft, fluffy robe, but House didn't bother. He headed straight for the kitchen. He had already eaten half of his meatballs and spaghetti by the time Cameron appeared.

She smiled serenely at him. "Didn't you want me to heat that up?"

"Nah. Nothing as delicious as cold spaghetti."

She took a portion and popped it into the microwave to nuke it.

They ate in companionable silence. Every few minutes, one or both of them would suddenly grin.

The entryway wasn't the only part of the house they christened that night. A shower together led to more hanky panky. He particularly enjoyed lathering her all over, then rinsing her off. By the time they got into bed, they were both spent.

"All I want to do now is sleep." Cameron pulled the blanket up to her chin.

"A little cuddling to relax you?" House offered.

"If I were more relaxed, I'd… oh, why not?" She smiled and reached for him. Holding each other they drifted into a restful sleep.

* * *

Hadley drove home, parked nearby and climbed the stairs to her apartment. She tossed her messenger bag on the couch and sat next to it. Her phone rang and she smiled to see Anita's number on the screen.  
"Hi. How'd it go?"

"I spoke to Lori again. When I told her what the locket said in Russian, it jogged a memory. It was something her grandmother said to her grandfather and she never knew what it meant."

"You think it was some kind of code?" Hadley leaned back.

"Very likely. Maybe a recognition that their cell used."

Hadley thought that through. "Did she ever hear them say it to anyone other than each other?"

"That's the thing," Anita said. "The only one she ever heard them say it to was a man matching Harve's description."

Hadley sat up straight again. "Can you get a photo of Harve and have her confirm they met with him?"

Anita laughed. "You should have been a spy catcher. I've put in a request for a photo and I'll show it to her tomorrow. It could confirm Harve was the traitor Curt and Steve thought he was."

"And his dealings with Lori's grandparents had to do with passing on secrets?" Hadley asked.

Anita sighed. "Unfortunately, we can't prove that now with all of them dead, but it seems likely. Curt never told me why they suspected either the couple or Harve."

"Not very cooperative, is he?"

"Not at all." Anita was ready to change the subject. "So, enough about me. What's happening in Shelby?"

"The team has a new case, hand-picked by House."

Anita laughed. "Then I bet it's a doozy."

"Sure is. I hope you'll be home in time for House and Cameron's party. Can't wait to see their new place."

"If not by tomorrow night, then the next day. Couple of loose ends to tie up here."

"See you then. Call me."

* * *

When they arrived at their house, Magnani and Jacobs weren't through teasing Simpson about Chatterji.

"You like her, maybe more than like," Jacobs told him with a smile.

He shrugged. "I doubt she feels as strongly as I do. We've become friends, sure, but nothing romantic on her side."

"You asked her to go with you the House and Cameron's party, didn't you?"

"She's coming with us," he said. "All of us. Including Hadley."

"Right." She smirked. "Honestly, I think she's great and you couldn't do better."

"Thanks for your approval." He turned to walk to his room.

"Don't take it like that. You know we care for you and want you to be happy."

He paused and sighed. "Thanks. I know you do." Then he continued on to his room.

Once he was gone, Jacobs joined Magnani on the couch. "I hope I didn't push too much."

"Bart's a big boy. He'll make his own decisions about Anaya."

"I'm afraid he'll make the wrong decision."

"Have faith in him." Magnani kissed her cheek.

"But you agree she's perfect for him, don't you?"

"It's not for me to decide. I only know that you're perfect for me."


	46. Chapter 46

Next weekend I'll be a series of knitting workshops out of town, so I won't be able to write or post the next chapter until the next week.

 **Chapter 46.**

"Not having breakfast in your new home?" Wilson asked as House and Cameron entered the diner and approached the booth.

"We just wanted to see your handsome face," Cameron said. Her laugh proved that wasn't really why.

Wilson laughed too. "You were just too curious what everyone was up to. Gotten used to a morning of Mo's bacon and eggs with a side of good old-fashioned gossip and catching up."

Cameron nodded. "That too.

"So?" House asked.

"We had a pretty normal ho-hum day yesterday," Jess said. "But wait until the others get here."

They didn't have to wait long. The team arrived next, followed not much later by Hadley.

"Did you figure out what's wrong with my patient yet?" House asked.

"He's OUR patient, but no, not yet. Give us a couple more hours." Magnani sipped his coffee.

"His b.p. was high last night, but that may be because he's in the hospital."

"And Chatterji still has her job?" Cameron asked.

"So far. She finally returned to pediatrics late yesterday afternoon and was assigned two other patients. No word on what happened when Meisner saw Frasier."

House waved Linda over and they all ordered. Then he turned to Hadley. "Anita's not back yet, I see."

"Possibly tonight. More leads to follow." Hadley sighed. "Guess that's what her life is like."

"Too bad she can't do that here."

"Technically she works for the Shelby PD, but even those cases have taken her out of town."

"Speaking of which, isn't that Steve?" Jacobs asked.

Hadley called him over. "Did you miss us?"

He shook his head. "I'm still working on finding the person who killed Harve."

"Thought all the clues were in Princeton." House dug into his food as soon as Linda delivered it.

"That's what I thought," Steve said. "But Curt's following up on those while I go over everything here."

"What did the girl tell you?" Hadley asked.

"She didn't know anything. Turns out she hadn't known her grandparents were spies."

Sounded to Hadley as if Anita was getting more from Loralei than the two bozos from the agency.

But soon breakfast was finished and they had to leave, even Steve.

After everyone else left, Cameron finally showed House the invitation she'd designed with Carol's help. It still had to go to the printer and be sent to the list of people they'd agreed to invite.

"Not too girlie."

"You know I wouldn't…"

"Simple text." He nodded. "You have my approval."

"Thanks. Now I have to find the time to bring it to the printer."

"I can do it. It's on the way to the Hanbury house." House held out a hand.

"See you lunchtime."

"Maybe we can take a ride out to the house for a little afternoon delight."

She smiled. "It can wait for a nice leisurely evening delight."

He studied her, and she could see the gears turning in his head.

"Later."

* * *

At the hospital, the team completed their work-up on their new patient. Nothing added up. His blood didn't contain an elevated count of white blood cells, but it was obvious from his high temperature and the skin of his hands that he had an infection of some kind.

At lunch, they saw Chatterji in the cafeteria. She thanked them for their help, especially Simpson. "I probably would have chickened out at Meisner's office, not gone in, if you hadn't been there."

"What happened?" he said.

"From what I hear, he had a talk with Frasier. Johnny's finally being treated for acute flaccid myelitis, but I'm still off the case. The two I was given aren't as interesting but that's okay. I'd like to lie low for a while."

"You're still coming with us to House and Cameron's party, aren't you?"

"Yes. Saturday after this one?"

Simpson nodded. "Um, should I come and get you?"

She studied his face with a smile. "That would be great." She left the cafeteria with Simpson's gaze trained on her and Jacobs and Magnani's on him.

* * *

Harve's picture arrived on Anita's computer. She printed it off on the motel's printer. Not the highest quality, but it would serve. Off to the hospital she went yet again.

Loralei was eating a full breakfast when she arrived, reminding Anita that she hadn't bothered to stop for any in the motel restaurant or along the way to the hospital.

"That looks pretty good." Anita wondered whatever happened to powdered eggs she'd been served the one time she was hospitalized as a kid.

"Too much food for me. Want some?"

Anita helped herself to a rasher of bacon and a half slice of buttered toast. That would hold her for the half hour she'd allowed herself to talk to Loralei.

The teen took a sip of juice. "Yuck!" She spit it back into the plastic glass. "What's this supposed to be?"

"Looks like apple juice."

"Well, it tastes like… I'd rather not say. First thing here I didn't like."

"Did you cook for yourself when you lived in Snow Hill?" Anita swallowed the last of the toast.

"Mostly frozen stuff."

"Pizza?" Anita grinned.

"Lots of pizza. I loved to babysit Melanie. The cook made us such good food." She sipped some water. "That's better. How's Mel doing?"

"She's much better."

Lori took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I feel guilty giving this virus to her."

"Her doctors caught it in time, but it's why I was looking for you. Afraid you'd develop symptoms."

"And give it to others?"

"That too." Anita wiped off the grease from her fingers and took out the photo. "Lori, is this the man who visited your grandparents?"

Lori's eyes went wide. "That's him. How did you know?"

Rather than answer, Anita asked her own question, "Did you notice any strange men watching you recently."

"I thought it was just my imagination. Or that I was paranoid."

"Was he one of them?"

"I only saw the face of one of them, but it wasn't him."

"His name is Harve. This is his partner." She'd gotten a picture of Steve too.

"Definitely the guy who followed me." She laughed. "Not too good at it. I mean, I saw him."

"Yeah, you're right." Anita wondered whether either Harve or Steve intended for Loralei to notice them.

"One last question, at least for now. When you were in Marrakesh, were you followed?"

"I didn't notice anyone, but that doesn't mean no one was there, right?"

"Right. Before I forget, here's your book. Thanks for the breakfast. I may not be back for a while." She started to go, but turned back. "Where will you go when you're discharged?" She wanted to keep an eye on Lori, not that she thought she was in danger.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It'll depend on when Ginny and Max are released."

"But you want to stay in Princeton?"

Lori nodded. "Where else can I go?"

* * *

House dropped the sample at the printing office and continued on to Hanbury Street. Will was finishing much of the work inside.

"Still have to repaint the walls and put down flooring, then you're ready to go," he said.

The space had been transformed exactly the way they'd discussed early on. A reception and waiting area to the left as patients walked in, offices surrounding it, and to the right the lab so he could quickly have results of any tests he'd performed. A space was dedicated to a CAT scan machine.

"What do you think of this color?" Will pried the lid off a can of a warm beige-colored paint. "This is the flooring." The contractor held a tile next to the paint.

"Good choice."

Will closed the can, hammering the lid home. "Is Cameron nervous about the election?"

"Too busy with planning a party not to mention running the clinic." House didn't mention the time they'd spent at the house making it theirs.

"Well, I am." Will shook his head. "I don't know what possessed me to run to office."

"You'll do a better job than the former mayor."

"He was okay, just not someone who pushed for change." Will shook his head again. "People here are so set in their ways."

"You'd be surprised. Many of them are anxious for new blood on the council."

"When's your grand opening?"

"You mean here?" House hadn't thought of it as an occasion, just the start of a new phase of his life. "I'll hang my shingle this weekend. My receptionist is ready to go, and so is the lab guy. Now all I need are patients."

"Cameron is bound to send a few your way."

"That's what I'm counting on." House smiled. "Enjoy your painting."

"Will do." That was Will's standard phrase, short for 'Will will do it'.

* * *

"House liked the invites," Cameron told Carol.

"Good. After all the work we put into them."

"He took the sample to the printers. I only hope he didn't make any changes, but whatever they look like, we'll send them out tonight." She realized they had to change their mailing address. So far they hadn't received any mail at the new house, but that had to be because the postman didn't know where they were. "You better come."

"We're planning on it," Carol smiled. "Even got a babysitter so we can enjoy the party."

"House decided to open the new office next week, perfect timing for you to come back full-time."

"Did you tell Naomi?"

"I mentioned the possibility, but I'll have to confirm when she arrives this afternoon."

The first patient of the day, an older man, walked in, and Cameron brought him into the exam room.

"What seems to be wrong, Mr. Klein?" She hadn't seen him since the issues everyone had back in June due to the insecticide spray.

"I don't know. That's why I'm here." He hoisted himself onto the table. "Thought I had a cold, or maybe the flu, something like that." His accent confirmed he was a transplant from New York, but it didn't hide the hoarse quality.

Cameron found a tongue depressor and held it in Mr. Klein's mouth. She always felt foolish telling a patient that, but what else could she say but, "Say ah."

Klein's throat was raw with pustules indicating strep throat. But Klein was past the age when people usually developed the disease. Not that it was impossible, though. She took a throat culture and sent him off with a prescription. Whatever it was, the antibiotic should knock it out of his system.

* * *

Jessica entered the veterinary clinic, glad she didn't have to deal with some of the problems the others had with their patients. Dogs, cats and even rabbits didn't develop rare diseases at the same rate as humans.

"Jessica, I'm not feeling well," Dr. Carter said. "I'm afraid I'll have to go home. Can you manage on your own?"

What could she say? "I'll be fine, but maybe you should have someone examine you."

"My doctor retired last year, and I haven't found a new one yet."

"My friend Dr. House is opening a practice here in Shelby. Too bad it's not open yet. I'm sure he'd take you on as a patient. Let me call him and see if he can see you today." She found House's number in her contacts and called.

"Well, well. Jessica. This may be the first time you've called me since Wilson was in the hospital in Princeton."

"It's not about him. My boss is coming down with something. Would you be able to examine him today?" she said.

"I happen to be in my new office right now. Send him over. Let's see what kind of mundane cases I can have."

Jess laughed and ended the call. "Dr. Carter, he's waiting for you. Here's the address. James and I live on the second floor of the building." She scribbled it on the back of a prescription sheet. "I think you'll like him."

Dr. Carter drove to Hanbury Street, feeling worse and worse as he went. Luckily it wasn't far and he was able to park in front of the next house over. He managed to climb the three stairs from the street to the front door and opened it to the smell of fresh paint. He had to maneuver around the drop cloths and the men working.


	47. Chapter 47

Sorry to keep you waiting for the next chapter. As I expected, I couldn't do any writing while I was at the knitting retreat, and afterwards I had a lot to catch up on for classes I'm taking or facilitating.

 **Chapter 47.**

"You looking for Dr. House?"

Carter recognized the man running for mayor of Shelby, but at that moment taping wallboard along one wall.

"He's in his office." Will pointed.

He nodded and opened the wooden door.

"Close it, would you?" House said. "Keeps the fumes out. You must be Carter."

Dr. Carter held out a hand but House didn't shake it.

"Jessica said you're ill and need a new doctor."

"Yes. May I sit? The drive over here and then those steps about did me in." As he sat he let out a breath.

"Please." House appeared to be scrutinizing him.

"I'm out of air and my vision's blurry. I'm also slightly nauseous." He held a hand to his stomach. "If I were a dog I'd say it was something he ate."

"How can you tell a dog has blurry vision?" House asked.

"If they're starting to squint or there's a discharge, it's easy," the veterinarian said, "There are actual tests. Nausea is easier thing to diagnose with animals. They usually vomit more easily than humans. And excessive panting indicates a dog who's out of breath."

House found a blood pressure cuff. "I've ordered the coolest new b.p. measuring device, but it hasn't shown up yet." Carter's b.p. was one forty over one hundred. "A bit high but nothing alarming." House shone his penlight in Carter's eyes. "Any neck pain? Headaches?"

"No to both."

"A handful of issues could cause your symptoms. I'll have to do a full work-up, but my lab guy won't be here until Monday.

House gave Carter a 'scrip for eye drops and a bronchodilator then asked the veterinarian to return on Monday when he'd be able to run blood tests and possibly do a scan. He didn't know what equipment had already been installed in the lab. Something to check before he left for the day.

"Thanks. Doctor to doctor, what do you think I have?" Carter said.

"It could be serious or not. I'd rather not guess on the scant information I have. The drops and inhaler will help with your symptoms, get you through the weekend."

Carter nodded and left.

House hoped Jessica's boss didn't have the most serious of the many possibilities, although he was certain he could handle it, and she was capable enough to take over for Carter.

Before House left the office, he stepped around the drop cloths to the lab. Drawers were filled with ampules, test strips and other supplies. An x-ray machine and table sat on one side of the room. A blood analyzer was next to the empty space where the CAT scan machine should be. He hoped it would appear soon.

The place was shaping up. Whatever his qualms about this venture, he was glad he'd taken the step.

* * *

Chatterji visited one of her two new patients, a little boy showing all signs of a severe allergy attack, but one thing puzzled her. It hadn't affected his breathing, so it couldn't be an airborne allergen, even though his history showed allergies only to seasonal pollens.

The rash was all over his body. She took a sample of a welt. Earlier she'd given him a cortizone shot which helped with the itch. What else could she do?

"Does it hurt anywhere you have the rash?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Only itches."

"As bad as before I gave you the shot?"

"Well, maybe not as bad." He seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say or describe. "I'm thirsty."

"Sure." She brought him a cup of juice with a lid and a straw.

He drank the whole thing without a pause.

"Better?" She smiled and waited for his response.

"More please."

Before she gave it to him, she looked at his throat and then at the rash again. She filled the cup with water this time.

Again he drank it all without stopping. When he was done, she took a sample from his throat to culture. Was this another problem, a symptom of what was wrong, or the cause? "I'll take this to the lab so we can find out why you're so thirsty."

* * *

Wilson was surprised to see Nora Meisner at his door.

"I've been discharged and I wanted to thank you for all of your help."

"I didn't perform the last operation," he said.

"No, but you worked with the neurosurgeons to decide when I could have it. I can't tell you how much better I'm feeling." She smiled.

"You look better, too. I'll want you to come in next month for a follow-up on my surgery a few months ago. I don't know what schedule your neurosurgeon has you on."

"He wants to do a check-up in a month and then quarterly for a year."

"That's traditional. Will he order any preventative chemo or radiation?"

"He'll decide that next month. Perhaps I can see you both on the same day. That'd be most convenient." She stood. "I'll make an appointment with your secretary, but I hope you don't mind if I drop in now and again to talk to you."

Wilson was surprised she'd want to and wondered why. If he agreed, perhaps he'd find out.

* * *

Meanwhile, the team was agonizing over their patient.

"Do the blood tests again," Hadley said. "The analysis must be wrong. The white blood cell count can't be normal."

"We've taken samples twice already. Don't want to drain him dry." Magnani said.

"Then check his vitals. Something doesn't fit."

They rushed back to the patient's room The readouts of vitals were the same as before.

"I'm going to check your b.p. and O2 sat manually," Jacobs said.

"Is that usual?" He pointed up at the screens. "What about those numbers?"

"We like to periodically take 'em ourselves." But already, Jacobs saw a discrepancy. Rather than one ten over ninety measured by the machine, she found his blood pressure was one fifty over one twenty. "Your blood pressure is high." In addition, his oxygen blood saturation was eighty-eight percent. "We'll also have to put you on oxygen. Your blood doesn't have enough. If it stays low and not enough oxygen gets to your brain, you might suffer damage." She was amazed he was still alert.

But he wasn't alert, or possibly knowledgeable enough to understand what she meant. "I don't have problems breathing."

"You may get enough air to your lungs, but we have to find out why that doesn't translate into sufficient oxygen reaching your blood, and meanwhile, as a precaution, we'll feed you oxygen rather than air, which only contains twenty percent oxygen."

* * *

At eleven thirty, Mr. Klein returned to the clinic. This time his daughter accompanied him. "Doctor, you have to do something else for him," she said. "The inhaler isn't helping. He's wheezing like a teakettle."

"When did you use it?" Cameron asked Klein.

The older man shrugged. "Right after I got it, a couple of hours ago."

Cameron listened to his lungs. "There's definitely congestion. What about the antibiotic?"

"I took it at the same time."

"That isn't instantaneous. It should take effect by tonight." She examined his eyes. Clear. Next his nose. "Your sinuses are clogged. I might have to send you to a nose and throat specialist, but let's try a nasal spray. There's no problem using it with the inhaler. I think I have a sample." She rooted around in a drawer of samples and pulled one out and gave it to him.

"Will that help him?" the daughter asked.

"I'd like to see him tomorrow morning," Cameron told her. "I expect he'll feel some relief by then."

They left and she made a note to do research. She needed to find a nose and throat specialist, and she was curious about Klein. But now was not the time. There were other patients waiting for her.

She tended to two more patients, then realized it was time for lunch. Luckily, only Carol sat in the waiting room. "Lunchtime," Cameron said.

"Go ahead. I have a couple of notes to type up for you. Maybe I'll join you at the diner."

"Here, let me help you file what you've already input and then we can go over together."

They finished in record time and left, locking the clinic door and putting up the sign showing they'd be back by one. They'd just ordered when Jessica joined them.

They were all surprised when Steve sat with them.

* * *

Anita drove back to Shelby deep in thought. First off, she was worried about Lori and what would happen to her when she was discharged. She'd added the teen's phone number to her contact list and would make sure to call her to check. She felt hampered by not knowing what information Curt had on Harve and the dead man's relationship with Lori's grandparents.

She had her own theories about what happened to the two older people. They'd likely had a disagreement with Harve and he killed them. But then, who killed Harve? She almost hoped it was Curt, but that would have been too neat and satisfying.

The police station was as busy as usual with men and women going in and out. Anita went directly to her desk and typed up what she knew for certain. She also transferred the notes on her phone. Next she tried to look at Harve's murder more objectively and from another angle. Who would gain by his death, if he killed the Audins? How big was the spy ring they were part of? Was Lori the innocent she seemed? And where did her locket come in?

Anita googled Always and Forever. Aside from a Luthor Vandross song by that name, nothing came up. She even tried the Russian words, painstakingly typing the special characters in a file and copying it to her search window. Nyet, nothing. Except… A conversation, or rather tweets on of all things Twitter between two people using the names шпион, which she knew meant spy, and Notebook. Each said it once in a long discussion about Brussel sprouts. Was that really what they were talking about? She'd have to investigate both of them.

She looked around and when it appeared no one was watching, she signed into a secure database that agency and bureau agents knew well. Armed with the Twitter handles of the two people, she started a new search. Fifteen minutes later, she sat back in her chair, stunned by what she found.

* * *

House stopped at the printer's shop on his way to the diner for lunch, but the invitations weren't ready. "I thought you said two hours. It's been three."

"Sorry," was the only reply.

Grumbling, House left. Cameron would be disappointed, but he'd stop again later in the afternoon.

She sat at the diner booth with Carol, Jessica and Steve. The women seemed to be working on the agent to get information for Anita.

He did his part. "What else did you and Harve fight about?"

"Pardon?" Steve looked at him as if he'd asked a stupid question.

"You heard me. You and your partner fought, and it wasn't just about whether or not to stay in Shelby."

"Well, um, I don't think I'm at liberty to say." Steve clasped his hands together.

"It's a simple question. Are you saying it's classified information?"

"Um, well, maybe?"

"Maybe it's classified? He's dead. What could be classified about that?"

"Who killed him could be." Steve pressed his lips together to keep from saying anything else.

"But that wasn't what you fought about."

"Well, um… " This time Steve didn't bother to respond to the bait. "I just realized I have an appointment somewhere else." He stood and beat a hasty retreat.

"Guess I scared him off." House smirked.

Cameron nodded. "Probably found it bad enough when the three of us bombarded him. You were the last straw."

"I guess so." House looked sheepish. "I hope I didn't send him on his way before you three got something from him."

They grinned, and Cameron said, "Did we ever."

"He's really annoyed with Curt. Thinks he handled everything badly." Jessica smiled. "So he was willing to tell us why he's really back in Shelby. Seems the Audins had a file that the agency wants, so he demanded that Steve find it no matter what."

House's eyes held a spark of interest. "What kind of file?"

Cameron smirked. "That's just it. Curt wouldn't tell him."


	48. Chapter 48

I'm still not sure what's wrong with all of the patients, but the team, Chatterji, Cameron and House are working on it, and I have faith in them.

 **Chapter 48.**

"Dr. Carter never came back to the clinic this morning," Jess told House at lunch. "Did he keep his appointment with you?"

"My very first private patient arrived right on time. I sent him home with a scrip for eyedrops and a bronchodilator and told him to return Monday. Wish we could wait until later in the week when my office is up and running, but we can work around that."

"Did you set up a file for him? Take his insurance information?" Cameron asked.

He shrugged. "That's what Naomi's for."

Cameron laughed. It was so like House. "Guess I should tell her you're already running behind on the paper work."

He was glad she didn't ask about other paper, the invitations.

Anita arrived as the others were finishing lunch. They filled her in on what they learned from Steve.

She smiled like the proverbial cat with a canary in its sights. "That doesn't surprise me. Lori has a locket with Russian words inscribed. Always and Forever."

"That's a song," House said.

"True. But what's really interesting is a Twitter interchange between two people where it was used as a recognition thing. One of them called himself Spy in Russian. And you'll never guess who the other one was."

House nodded. "Your old friend, Curt."

Anita looked disappointed. "How'd you guess?"

House shrugged. "It adds up."

"But who's 'Spy'?" Jess asked.

"I'm working on finding out. Someone here in the U.S. but that's as far as I've gotten." Anita signaled Linda to bring her usual iced tea. "I've sent out feelers to my bureau friends. Hopefully they can trace the person based on the IP address of the tweets."

"How stupid to communicate on Twitter," Jessica said.

"Stupid or clever. Who'd question tweets between friends about Brussels sprouts?" Anita said. "I've come across exchanges like that before, hiding in plain sight."

"Is that what the messages were about?" House asked.

"Yeah. That has to be code for something, perhaps the file or what's in it." Anita's lunch arrived and she dug in.

* * *

Chatterji added her notes to the patient's file. His thirst might have been due to the medications they gave him or the dryness of the air, but she didn't think so.

Thinking about it, she strode to the elevator. Time for lunch. She smiled when she found the team sitting at a table not far from the cafeteria doors.

"Anaya, come sit," Jacobs said.

"Let me get food first." She got in line, grabbed a sandwich and iced tea and returned to their table. "So, how's it going with the patient? Resolved all the discrepancies?"

Jacobs shook her head. "Not yet."

"What about the two cases you were given?" Simpson asked.

"One's straightforward. Simple case of bronchitis." A fleeting smile. "But the other is more puzzling. I think I'm on the right track, but I might have to consult you."

"Any time," he replied in a soft voice.

Hadley came through the cafeteria doors. Jacobs called to her as she had to Chatterji.

"Thanks, but you have a full table."

"We can make room."

She purchased her own lunch then joined them. They talked briefly about the team's case and Chatterji's then moved on to the party at House and Cameron's new place.

"I can't wait to see it," Simpson said. "Knowing House, it'll have every convenience known to man."

"I can't imagine designing something like that from scratch." Chatterji shook her head. "Every house has to have a kitchen, living room, dining room and often a family room plus bedrooms and bathrooms, but it's how they're all put together that would be challenging."

Magnani shrugged. "Well, they worked with Will Davis and he's had lots of experience building and remodeling homes."

"Isn't he the one running for mayor of Shelby?" Chatterji asked.

Jacobs grinned. "Yes. Cameron's running for the town council too."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Chatterji's eyes widened and she stopped eating with her sandwich halfway to her mouth.

"Election Day is the Tuesday after the party," Simpson threw out.

"Do you think they'll win?" Chatterji asked. She started eating again.

Magnani nodded. "They're both well-known and popular in town. Besides, the other candidates are losers. You should have seen Duncan Walters at the debate. Couldn't get a word out. And Frank Overton? He has no idea what people in the town want or need. Sam Garcia isn't too bad, but Cameron will win. I'm sure of it."

"And Will too." Simpson added.

"Guess you're all registered to vote in Shelby." Chatterji wiped her lips. "Unfortunately, I live here in Snow Hill."

* * *

Between patients, Cameron ran tests on Mr. Klein's samples. She was glad she could rule out strep. But that left her with a puzzle and she knew just the person to run his symptoms past. A phone call to House left her disappointed. No answer. She left a message for him to call her whenever he could. Then she lost herself in the health problems of her next patient.

House called while she was writing a prescription so she let it go to voicemail. Her patient was a teenage girl with a bad case of hives resulting from a reaction to eating strawberries.

Cameron waited until the girl and her mother were gone before calling him back. "Good, you're still there. Sorry, I was treating a patient with a severe allergic reaction."

"Is that why you called earlier?" he asked.

"No, it was another patient. I doubt you remember Mr. Klein. About my height, receding hairline and what hair he has is white?"

"What about him?" House sounded impatient.

"He has clogged sinuses, congested lungs and he's wheezing." She looked at her notes. "I've ruled out strep, and I've suggested he go to an ear, nose and throat guy."

"Makes sense. So what's the problem?" His shrug came through in his voice.

"It's two things. I don't know any ear, nose and throat doctors in the area." She wasn't counting on him knowing any either. "More important, I don't think his symptoms are caused by a post-nasal drip from the clogged sinuses. Oh, that may contribute but I don't think it's the root cause."

Another shrug-like sound. "Why not? It fits."

"He hasn't responded to the antibiotic or inhaler I prescribed. Oh, I told him to give them a chance to work, but clearly they hadn't had any significant effect. He doesn't have a fever, blood pressure's only slightly elevated."

"You sure it's not just a head cold?" House asked.

"Quite sure."

"How old is he? Has he had cataract surgery?" His questions got her thinking in a different direction than before.

"You think the eyes are the primary problem. He's in his early sixties."

House had more questions. "What chronic conditions does he have? There are a couple of specialists I'd suggest, but if we don't know his overall health, we can't even guess who to send him to."

"Maybe I'll refer him to you. You need all the patients you can get."

"Not too many, please." They both laughed.

* * *

Anita tried to hunt down Steve. He'd taken a room at the motel, but he wasn't in his room and Zach hadn't seen him that morning. She thought about where he could have gone to get any leads on Harve's killer. Nothing came to mind. Where had he and Harve been? Shadowing Lori, but that was in Snow Hill. Had they investigated the Audins? The only connection she knew of was Lori's identification of Harve as a man who visited her grandparents. She'd never seen Steve.

She drove to Snow Hill and Lori's former apartment building. She'd gotten the address when they were looking for the girl. A four-story square brick building that might have been built in the 1960s. Anita looked for Steve's car and finally spotted it in a side street near the building. It was empty.

Anita didn't know the apartment number, so she waited by Steve's car, but when he hadn't shown up by four-thirty, she gave up and drove back to Shelby with an anxious feeling.

To shake it off, she decided to cook dinner rather than meet Remy at the diner. She called and left a message for Remy to meet her at their apartment.

She'd made steaks on the indoor grill by the time Remy walked through the door. Veggies were simmering on the stove and potatoes cooking in the microwave.

"Wow, and she cooks too." They both laughed.

* * *

House returned to the print shop. Finally, the invitations were done. Except, they spelled his name wrong. How could anyone do that? But they had it as Horse.

"Do these again. The name is House. H-O-U-S-E. Got it?"

"Sorry. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the computer auto-corrected." The clerk tried to smile. "At least it didn't change it to Mouse, right?"

House rolled his eyes and left. He needed someone to vent to. Both Cameron and Wilson were busy. He drove to Anna's house and was happy to find her home.

She took one look at the storm in his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Idiots at the print shop took forever to print the invitations for our open house thingy, and then they got my name wrong."

"Your name? Greg?"

"It was supposed to be Dr. Gregory House and Dr. Allison Cameron, only I became Dr. Horse."

"Oh, dear. How awful." She put a hand to her mouth, but her giggle came through.

"They'll redo them, of course."

She nodded. "Good. Now, come have some coffee with me. I've got apple pie in the refrigerator. Want it cold or heated?"

"Don't bother to heat it."

Her phone rang. "Mind if I take this? I'm expecting a call from the election board." The phone rang again.

"Go ahead."

While she answered, he glanced around her kitchen. He'd been there before. It was warm and welcoming with wood cabinets, sixties-formica counter tops, and an old wooden table and chairs in front of a window that let in copious amounts of sunlight.

He sat and let that sunlight warm him.

Anna finally returned. "That was Pamela. There's been tampering with the absentee ballots."

"What does that mean for the election?"

She set up the coffeemaker and turned it on before she answered. "She didn't know, but it can't be good."

"They couldn't have that many absentee ballots this early, can they?"

"Couple hundred. But when the number of voters in this town isn't high, and usually less than half of them vote, they could turn the election."

"Do they have any idea who did it?"

Anna shook her head. "But I expect you didn't come here to talk to me about that."

"Just wanted to vent about the printer. Done that, feel a bit better."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the house. Are you happy with Will's work so far?"

"Yeah. And with his work on my office." He tapped his fork on the table.

"Are you ready to open the practice? It's been a while since we had two doctors in Shelby."

"Monday's opening day."

"Then I'll stop by to see that too." The coffee was ready, so she poured two cups and took out the pie, slicing House a large piece and a smaller one for herself.

"Had my first patient already." House fixed his coffee with the milk and sugar she'd put on the table.

"Oh, may I ask who?"

"Veterinarian, named Carter." House knew Anna didn't have a pet, so she might not know him. "Jessica works for him."

"Oh, lovely man."she smiled. "He lends a hand for the Christmas fest in town."

"There's a Christmas fest?"

"Yes, in – let me think – four weeks, I think. First weekend in December. A chance for local craftspeople to sell their holiday-related wares."

"Let me guess, it's held either on the town square or in the high school gym."

She laughed. "Right on both counts. Depends on the weather the weekend it's held. You don't have any hidden crafty type talents, do you?"

* * *

When Naomi arrived at the clinic, Cameron confirmed that House would want her to start the following Monday.

"I'll be doing the same things I do for you, right?" The woman was clearly nervous.

"Pretty much. 'Course, he's already behind on his filing, but I have no doubt you'll whip him into shape in no time." Cameron put a hand on Naomi's arm. "You'll do great."

"Anything else you can tell me?"

Cameron smiled. She'd spent many years studying the oddities of Dr. Gregory House. "He hates to open his own mail, doesn't like to speak to large groups and above all, he likes puzzles and when he's working on one, it's his sole focus."


	49. Chapter 49

Can you figure out what's wrong with the patients?

 **Chapter 49**

House had a moment alone at the diner. He thought about his patient, Cameron's, and the team's. There were similarities but also differences in their symptoms. Dr. Carter, both the teen and the older man Cameron was treating and the current team patient were having problems with breathing.

It couldn't be the reaction to insecticide that was so widespread in June. No one had sprayed anything in the area recently. In addition, the team's patient was from Snow Hill, but the others lived in Shelby.

It didn't seem to be a form of flu. He didn't think they suffered from seasonal allergies. Even the teans reaction was to something she ate. His reverie was interrupted by Cameron's arrival for dinner.

"Anymore patients with questionable symptoms?" he asked. He'd tell her about the invitations and the election when they were alone.

She chuckled. "'Fraid not. Wait, are you thinking there's a connection among all the patients everyone's treating?" She sat back. "Wow, I never thought about that. They all have problems with breathing. Dr. Carter too, and the team's patient. But with differences."

"Well, yeah."

"And you're ignoring those."

"Who knows whether they're each focusing on what bothers them the most rather than what's really causing their symptoms?"

* * *

The team had determined their patient's normal white cell count didn't rule out an infection. Now they just had to figure out what infection it was.

"He's stable, and the infection isn't progressing. Time to quit for the day," Magnani said.

They finished entering what they knew into their computers and added symptoms on the whiteboard then left the hospital. They went straight to the diner where they found Jessica, House and Cameron.

Wilson was the last to arrive. House raised an eyebrow at him, but the oncologist wasn't talking about what had kept him. He smiled and sat next to his girlfriend.

"Now that you're all here, we wanted to show you our invitations." Cameron turned to House.

Another person would've hemmed and hawed, but House wasn't another person. "The print shop screwed them up. They're reprinting." He refused to talk about the mistake they'd made. "I'll get 'em tomorrow.

Cameron might never have raised her eyebrows so high. But she didn't seem to stew over it while she ate. She changed the subject instead. "Where are Hadley and Anita?"

"Anita called earlier to tell our boss woman that she was preparing dinner for the two of them," Magnani said.

With a nod, Cameron changed the subject again. "House has been thinking there might be a connection between all of the patients lately."

"Including Anaya's?" Simpson asked.

His sister laughed. "I was going to say including Dr. Carter."

"Yup." House munched on a carrot.

"It's true they're all suffering partially with breathing problems, but a large percentage of diseases and conditions come with difficulty breathing," Jacobs said.

"Not all," Cameron said. "One of mine just had hives. Or that's what she presented with."

"Let's think about the anomalies for a minute," House said. "Cameron's teen has hives, but all the others have elevated b.p. numbers, and most have breathing problems. But those are the symptoms they reported or we determined. What else is bothering them? Ask 'em. I bet you'll find they have a few similarities."

Wilson narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think that?"

House shook his head, not yet ready to say. "Let's call it a premonition."

"And what does this premonition tell you these patients have in common?"

"All I can say is it's not life-threatening or I'd tell you."

"I'll make you a deal. If we haven't determined what it is by the night of your party, you'll tell us." Magnani looked around at the others who nodded.

"All right. That gives you a bit over a week. But if I have to tell you…" They didn't work for him, so what could he ask of them? "I'll think of something."

"Does that go for Anaya too?" Simpson asked.

House smirked. "I expect you'll clue her in on what I said."

"Meanwhile, you'll treat Dr. Carter based on your diagnosis?" Jessica asked.

"As his doctor, guess I'll have to."

Cameron didn't say anything.

* * *

Anita and Hadley lingered over dessert. "Some day I'll have to learn how to make this," Anita took a forkful of tiramisu.

"Where'd you get it?"

"There's a bakery around the corner. Tiny, you can easily miss it walking by."

"They make excellent desserts, judging by this."

"We'll have to try one of their tortes someday."

"It's nice to have dinner here alone, rather than with the gang at the diner."

"Yeah, although I'd like to run some things by them, especially House." Anita shrugged. "It'll wait until morning."

"Did you find out anything else about Curt? I mean, those tweets would indicate he's a spy, too. I mean, not for us, but for the enemy."

"Technically, Russia isn't the enemy right now."

"True." Hadley wiped her mouth. "So, anything else?"

"Not really, although when I did a search on the term Brussels sprouts, I found a series of tweets from the person called spy and another named Russ."

"Appropriate."

"Yeah. I thought so. Couldn't get a name to go with the handle, though. It's not Russ something. Usually on Twitter, that's what names are, and the something is the real name. Or the other way around. The real name a handle."

Hadley smirked, "Look at you. The Twitter expert."

Anita shrugged. "Among the many lessons we spies learned over time."

* * *

As they drove home from the diner, House casually said, "You didn't ask about what was wrong with the invitations."

"I assumed you didn't want to mention the problem in front of the others."

"You could say that. They spelled my name wrong."

"What, like Mouse?"

He chuckled. "Well, not quite that bad." He sighed. "Horse."

"At least it wasn't Louse."

He glanced at her then shifted his gaze back to the road.

"There's more." She frowned.

"Yeah. Someone tampered with the absentee ballots."

She raised an eyebrow. "You could vote absentee?"

"Seems that way. Pamela's looking into it, but the election might be delayed."

She just nodded.

Later that night in bed she said, "You'll tell me what you think is wrong with the patients, right? I've got two patients involved in this."

"You heard what I told the others." He turned away from her.

"Ah, but I'm not the others." She moved closer and pressed her lips to his ear, something he seemed to like, because he turned halfway back. "I can be persuasive in ways they can't."

"True." He whispered something in her ear then held a finger to his lips. "Mustn't tell anyone."

When she could close her dropped jaw, she said, "How did you guess that?"

"Something Carter said when I was examining him."

"I don't know if the teen I was treating will return to the clinic, but Mr. Stein is bound to." She was already planning how she'd treat him, and the questions she'd ask. She had contact information for the teenage girl too.

"We can't tell the team what we've done for our patients, because that'll give it away."

"Right." She smiled. "I'll be curious to see if they figure it out."

He smiled a decidedly evil smile. "Now I have to come up with something diabolical for when they don't."

* * *

"What diagnosis do you think House has come up with?" Magnani said.

Jacobs sighed. "No idea."

"And without an idea, we don't know what questions to ask our patient, or suggest Anaya ask hers." Simpson shook his head. "So what do we do?"

"We can always ask what else is bothering them." Magnani pointed to the board filled with conflicting results and information that was inconsistent. "Even the slightest problem they've had recently will help."

Simpson still wasn't convinced. "Could House be right? I mean about all the patients having the same problem?"

"It's House," Jacobs shrugged. "You have to accept he knows what he's talking about."

"Or not talking about." Simpson's brow furrowed.

* * *

"Is there some way we can help the team find out what House has on his mind?" Jess asked.

"Knowing House, it's likely to be completely out of left field."

Jessica's mouth twisted. "I hate sports metaphors."

Wilson laughed. "You can talk to your boss and find out how House is treating him."

She nodded. "And then we can tell the team."

He pulled her close. "House and his games."

* * *

The next day was Saturday. Strictly speaking, the team had the day off, but they were eager to get started. They ran into Chatterji in the elevator.

"I see you're working Saturday too."

Simpson told her about House's challenge. "Your patient is included, so if you have any ideas, it might help us."

* * *

Anita pulled open the door to the squad room at the Shelby P.D. to find Anderson waiting for her. "What's up?" She still wanted to find Steve, but if the chief needed her to do something else, she had to.

"The election board called to let me know the absentee ballots for next week's election are missing. They've been stolen."

"Who'd take 'em?" Her brows drew together.

"That's what I need you to discover."

"I'll get right on it. Where were they supposed to be?"

"At city hall, in a locked room. Once they come in, they're stored there to be counted on election day."

"Who has a key?" Anita asked.

"Two members of the board, Pamela Bradford and Gus Hamburg."

"Her son-in-law is running for mayor. Is that wise?"

Anderson shrugged. "No one questioned it."

"Okay. I'll set up interviews with the two of them. Who reported the robbery?"

"Mrs. Bradford. She said at last count they had nine hundred and twenty-four ballots."

Anita let out a whistle. "I'll start with her."

"Here's her number and Hamburg's."

She nodded and strode to her desk formulating questions to ask. Mrs. Bradford answered immediately. "This is Officer Anita Morrow, Shelby Police. I'm following up on your report about the missing absentee ballots."

"Oh, good. Yes, we discovered that they were missing yesterday. We spent a few hours looking for them."

"You said we. I assume that including Mr. Hamburg?"

"Yes, and we called in a couple of other people. Anna Eisen, who's a member of the Board of Elections, and Owen Marshall, who's on the board." She sounded frustrated. "We searched high and low, literally. They're nowhere to be found. That's why I called the department this morning."

Anita hoped they hadn't destroyed any evidence of a break-in. "Could I meet you at city hall, just to have a look at the room where they were supposed to be."

"Of course. It's so close to the election. They'd hate to call it off or postpone it or something. We do have that option, to postpone it and have everyone who sent in a ballot resend them."

"It would be much better to find them."

"Exactly."

As soon as the chief left, Anita called Pamela Bradford.

* * *

Cameron was pleased to see Mr. Klein back with his daughter on Saturday. She'd prepared a series of questions and got right to them. How's the antibiotic working?"

"Dad's feeling better but not tip top," Jill replied.

"Jill, have you been feeling well since your father started complaining about his symptoms?"

The daughter's eyes narrowed. "I've been fine. Well, except for a toothache, but my dentist took care of that. Filled a cavity in my tooth." Jill pointed to her mouth.

"Who's your dentist?"

"Oh, Dr. Nathan in Snow Hill. He's very nice."

Cameron nodded. "Mr. Klein, how have your teeth been," she said in a soft voice.

"What did you say? Jill, what did she say?"

"I asked how your teeth have been." Cameron moved in front of the man.

"Not a problem, not since I had 'em all capped." He smiled to show her his bright white teeth.

Stepping to the side, Cameron snapped her fingers. She did that at a few places. Only Jill reacted.

Returning to Mr. Klein sight, Cameron said, "I'd like to send you to an audiologist. They'll test your hearing. But first, let me have a look at your ears and the lymph glands in your neck."

"I sometimes have to turn on closed captioning for him," Jill said. "It helps him make out what people are saying."

Cameron finished looking at Mr. Klein's ears and felt his neck. "Even I do that with some British shows." As she suspected, the lymph nodes were swollen. She smiled at Mr. Klein and Jill as she wrote down the specialists she wanted him to see. As they left, she thought, "House is probably right."


	50. Chapter 50

I don't know what I was doing when the ending of this chapter came to me, but as Anaya says, bizarre.

 **Chapter 50.**

After the Kleins left the clinic, Cameron closed for the rest of the weekend. She drove back to their new home where she found House playing the piano. Sitting on the bench beside him, she shook her head to indicate he shouldn't stop. She listened to the honky-tonk sounding tune and smiled.

When the song came to an end, House pulled his fingers from the keys and turned to her. "Well?"

"You were right about Klein. Bet the team went into the hospital today to determine what you were talking about." She laughed. "They're smart enough to figure it out, you know."

"Maybe. So, what do we do today?"

Cameron got a far away look. "Why don't we take a ride in the country? Once your practice is officially opened and the election is over, we probably won't have as much time to do that."

"We'll take the Alfa Romeo, give her a good bit of exercise."

"Yes. We haven't taken her out for a while."

"Let's see where she takes us."

"Let's."

They drove to Edna's house and switched cars. Driving the Alfa out of the garage, House wondered why he didn't use it more often. Cameron got in, and they were off.

The main road through town went north-south. If they went east or west they'd soon come to water, so they headed north but turned off onto country roads before they reached Baltimore. The sun fought with a chill wind that buffeted the little car, but House managed to keep it on the road. Driving through a section lined with trees three or more deep, the car began to cough.

"Think this car has what our patients do?" Cameron quipped.

"Something's wrong. Whatever it is, I'm pulling over before I can't." He drove off the road where he saw a wide shoulder and stopped the car.

"What do you think it is?"

House winced. "I know a little about cars from trying to keep my old one on the road." He got out and opened the hood. "Unlike modern cars, nothing's electronically controlled. That's a help." He fiddled with the hoses. "Everything's tight."

"Here, let me try." Cameron stood at his shoulder, watching what he did. She checked the radiator cap and a few fittings. "Yeah. Tight as a drum." She took out her phone. "No signal."

"I don't have one either."

"How far back was that last town?" She looked at her sneakered feet. "Can't even get GPS to tell us where we are. Maybe if we walk to a populated area."

"You expect me to walk three or four miles."

"What's our alternative?"

"We wait for someone else to come by."

"You're going to hitch a ride." Her gaze shot skyward. "Will wonders never cease."

* * *

Magnani scratched his ear. "No matter which way we look at what we've got on our patient, I don't see a pattern."

Jacobs glanced at her watch. "It's ten. Let's go see what the patient says today."

They trooped to the elevator and then to the third floor where their patient was complaining to a nurse, "It's cold in here. I need another blanket. Turn up the heat."

"Are any parts of you colder than the others?" Simpson asked.

"My feet." He pointed. "They're icicles, especially the toes."

"That would indicate a circulation problem," Magnani told his teammates. "Right?"

Jacobs nodded. "What else is uncomfortable?" she approached the bed.

"Haven't slept well. This pillow leaves a lot to be desired. And the lights. Can you dim the lights?" He shaded his eyes with a hand. "It's way too bright in here."

She examined his eyes, noticed his slow reaction to her penlight. He blinked and his pupils became pinpoints. Next she checked his throat and ears for the gazillionth time. No indication of fluid build-up. "We'll be back before we leave for the day. I'll turn your light off altogether. Try to sleep."

Magnani and Simpson looked at her quizzically as the team left the patient's room.

She pointed to their office. "Let's add the newest symptoms to our files and the whiteboard, revisit the patient and leave. It's too nice a Saturday to be working."

"Yeah, we can catch some lunch at the diner and then do something outside," Simpson said.

"Like what?" Magnani's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know. I thought you two would have an idea."

"Not me," Magnani and Jacobs chorused.

* * *

Anita and Hadley slept in that morning.

"At some point I'll have to get up and get dressed," Anita said. "I have an appointment to meet Pamela Bradshaw at eleven at the town hall."

"Want me to come with?" Hadley asked.

"If you don't have other plans.

They had a quick meal of bagels with cream cheese, dressed and were out of the apartment in less than an hour, reaching the city hall at ten fifty-five.

Pamela arrived a minute later. She smiled when she saw Hadley with Anita. "Cleaning crews are here on Saturday, so the doors should be open."

Sure enough, when they pulled one of the large doors of the front entrance, it moved open smoothly. The marble floor inside was polished to a bright shine but wasn't slippery.

"This is where the ballots are kept until they're counted." Pamela opened a nearby door with a key. Though visible, the door didn't stand out as important. "Or should I say, were kept."

Inside, a file cabinet stood open, and the table in the center of the room was bare except for two pieces of paper.

"We left things exactly as they were when we discovered the theft. Those two ballots were on the floor, left behind by the thief."

Anita took out her fingerprinting kit and set to work on the file drawer first and then the two ballots left behind. "The prints on the drawer are all smudged. Probably those of the clerk, but rubbed by the gloves of the thief, but we can't rule anyone out yet." She studied the ballots. "Not much usable on here. Paper doesn't hold prints as well as the TV and movie people indicate."

Her next examination concerned the window. Before she examined the sill and frame, she asked, "Can I assume anyone who's entered this room since the break-in came through the door?"

"Yes," Pamela said. "I'm afraid we didn't wear gloves or anything."

"They probably came in through here," she pointed to scuff marks on the windowsill. But they had to know where the ballots were kept."

"It's not a secret." Pamela shrugged. "There didn't seem to be a reason to keep it secret."

"So would you say several people knew absentee ballots were stored here?" Hadley asked.

"Yes. I still can't believe they're gone."

Anita smirked. "Well, at least you have two of them." She pointed to the two on the table.

"Fat lot of good those'll do. I think the only thing we can do is ask those who voted absentee to vote again."

"Do you have a list?"

"Only of the ballots sent out to residents who, for whatever reason, elected to vote absentee rather than brave the polls on election day. That doesn't mean they voted." She tried to read the two ballots without touching them.

"You can pick them up," Anita said.

"Thanks." Pamela smiled as she read the two. "I do hope you'll vote."

"I've only lived in Shelby a short time and haven't registered yet, although I know who I want to win."

"I actually voted absentee." Hadley chuckled. "Guess I'll have to vote again."

Pamela nodded. "I can't say who I hope win. With my son-in-law running, I should probably excuse myself from being on the election board, but no one has objected so far. Unfortunately, it's too late to register with the election next Tuesday."

"I understand. Next year."Anita looked around one more time. "We're through here."

Pamela left the votes and followed Anita and Hadley out, locking the office. "The proverbial locking the barn door."

Anita laughed. "Thank you for your time. We'll see if I got any usable prints and can find the culprit. I'll make sure to let you know."

Ever suspicious, Anita used the opportunity to collect Pamela's prints. They shook hands and parted. She liked the older woman, but considered she could use the prints for elimination.

She'd done all she could at the town hall. Time to meet the others for lunch and find out what everyone was up to.

Wilson and Jessica sat in the booth, but no one else. "Have you seen House and Cameron?" Wilson asked.

"No. we was at the town hall to meet Pamela Bradford and check on the missing ballots." She shrugged.

"Any luck?" Jess asked.

Anita shook her head. "Has Steve been here, either last night or today?" She still had to find out what he and Curt were onto.

"Haven't seen him for a while. Is he still in town?"

"Yes, and staying at the motel." But was he? Anita would have to check on that too. "Too many mysteries."

"We can usually depend on House to solve them." Jess sighed.

"I heard about his latest challenge." Anita smiled.

The team arrived, and the others stared at them. Hadley asked what everyone else was wondering, "What other symptoms does the patient have?"

Jacobs counted them off, "Dry mouth and throat, sensitivity to light, reaction to cold. The more symptoms we add, the more complicated it gets. Two or three go together, but not all of them. And where do House and Cameron's patients fit into this picture? Or even Anaya's?"

"James and I have wondered about that. I'll watch how House treats Dr. Carter." Jessica looked from one to another. "Does anyone know who Allison's patient is?"

No one did.

"You never can tell with House," Wilson said.

The others waited for more.

"The similarity he saw could be something like they were all named Richard or, come to think of it, that they all were male."

Jacobs shook her head. "Our patient is named John."

"And Dr. Carter's first name is Jack."

"See, that's what I mean. Now if we could find out the name of Cameron's patient and Chatterji's."

* * *

Chatterji thought about what the team had told her before she visited her patient once more.

"Do you know what's wrong with me?" he asked. "When can I go home?"

"What's your favorite thing to do at home?" she asked as she took his vitals.

"Play basketball. We have a hoop on our garage."

"Really? I like to play that too." She smiled.

"But your a girl."

"Girls can jump and shoot, you know. Some are as good as boys." She narrowed her eyes. "Tell you what, when you're home from the hospital, why don't we have a game?"

"Just us two?"

"Maybe you can bring in a friend or two and so will I."

The boy seemed to think about that while she was examining his teeth and fingernails, eyes and ears, toes and ankles. The swelling of the last of those was a concern.

"OK, it's a deal." The boy held out a hand and Anaya shook it.

She smiled at him. "I'll try to get you home quickly then." She was glad she'd come in on Saturday, not that she had much else to do. She hadn't made many friends since she came to Snow Hill. In fact, the members of the team were probably the only ones, and they were in Shelby. She sighed as she walked to the parking garage and her car.

Her phone rang just before she got in. It was Bart. "Hello," she said.

"Oh, hi. Hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."

"No, I was just leaving the hospital, not looking forward to an afternoon doing laundry."

"Can I ask you what your patient's first name is?"

She laughed. "You can ask. I may even answer." She laughed again. "He's called Jake."

"Not John?"

She pictured the file. "On his intake form his mother wrote J. J."

"So maybe John Jacob?"

"Why are you asking?"

He explained Wilson's crazy explanation of what House noticed.

"So it's not what's wrong with them? That's bizarre." She made an unbelieving face he couldn't see.

"That's House." It was his turn to laugh. "Or it may be that all the patients are male."

"Didn't you mention a teenage girl in the mix?"

"She was the odd man out, or should I say person."

"Bizarre," she repeated. "But I don't believe it."

"We don't know what else to think. Mapping what we know about our patient and yours with Dr. Carter's symptoms and what Cameron told us about her patient, we get nothing."

"Except the name John, and their maleness."

"Yeah."

"Bizarre," she said for the third time.


	51. Chapter 51

I'm afraid House and Cameron are still stuck.

 **Chapter 51.**

House and Cameron had been stuck for an hour. Few cars passed them, and none stopped.

"I'm walking that way." Cameron pointed down the road in the direction they'd been driving. "We know it's at least three miles back to the last town we drove through. Maybe the next town is closer."

House rummaged in the car door pockets. "Maybe there's a map."

"We depend too much on our phones these days, to contact people and know where we are."

He stood up again, his hands empty. "I'm surprised no one stopped for you. Maybe if I hadn't been here."

"People are too wary of strangers." She pointed to the car. "You can stay here, sit in the car, listen to the radio or something. There are a couple of cans of beer in the cooler."

He studied her. "You brought beer."

"See you as soon as possible." She took off down the road. Every time a car came by, she held out her thumb. They still didn't stop. After half a mile, she spotted a house. With a sigh of relief, she marched up to the door and knocked.

A woman answered. "Not interested."

"Then why did you open the door? Listen, we broke down about half a mile down the road." Cameron pointed. "No signal, so we couldn't call anyone." She showed her phone. "May I use your phone?"

"I let you in to do that, and your partner follows, you rob me blind and beat me up."

Cameron held out her credentials. "I'm a doctor, on my way to someone who needs my services. Do I really look like a break-in specialist?"

"Well, you hear about these home invasions and you worry. C'mon in." The woman stood back. "I'm Amy. Amy Wolcott."

Cameron studied the woman as she accompanied her to the kitchen and an old-fashioned wallphone. "Do you know a mechanic in a nearby town?"

"Nearest town's Salisbury, oh, 'bout ten mile or so."

"That's a pretty big city. Got a phone directory?"

"Not for Salisbury," Amy said.

Cameron glanced at her phone again, turned it on, shook her head. "I can't access Google to find one." She didn't have to think long. "Do you have a car? Can you drive me at least far enough so I can get a signal?"

Amy set her mouth in a line and squinted at Cameron. "You sure you're not tryin' to rob me?"

"I promise. We really did breakdown back that way, and I need a mechanic to go back there with me."

With her lips set in a line, the woman nodded and led the way to an old Chevy parked at the side of the house. "Get in," she said, opening the doors.

She drove for five miles to a gas station at the beginning of a small stretch of stores and houses. "Luke can help you. This is as far as I go."

Cameron smiled as she got out of the car. "Thanks, Amy. Safe trip back."

"What could happen between here and my house?"

* * *

Chatterji drove up from Snow Hill to spend the day with the team. They planned to talk more about their cases. With snacks and drinks they settled in the family room of the team house.

"As much as I'd like to think it's as simple as them all being males, House had to have some other medical idea," Jacobs said, and Chatterji nodded in agreement.

"We've been over this fifteen times and found few commonalities." Magnani ran a hand over his face. "I vote for accepting that explanation for what House said and moving on to diagnose each of our patients."

"I have a question for you three," Chatterji said. "Has your patient ever shown sensitivity to light?"

"Well yes, but only today," Magnani said.

"Ever been extremely thirsty?"

"Has yours?"

"Yes. I'm going to test him for juvenile diabetes, even though he doesn't show the usual signs."

Simpson nodded. "That's not what's wrong with our patient, though. Certainly not the juvenile part and probably not the diabetes part."

"Was yours thirsty today or before this?" Magnani asked. "Couldn't that have been his medication or the dry air in the hospital?"

"That's what I thought at first, but he says he was afraid to ask for something to drink before." She smiled. "He's a very shy kid."

"Well, our patient is hardly shy. In fact, I'd say he was aggressive," Magnani said.

Simpson smirked. "More like aggravating."

"So where does that leave us?" Magnani asked.

"With too many conflicting symptoms. Honestly, I'd like to think about something else." Jacob's leaned back.

"We could talk about the election," Simpson said. "Except Anaya doesn't live here and would probably find it boring."

"How about the party next weekend?" Chatterji suggested. "Heather, what are you going to wear?"

Magnani groaned. "Women and clothes."

* * *

Wilson and Jessica decided to pay a surprise visit to House and Cameron's new house. They drove out Harbor Road and turned at the sign for their lane, not that they couldn't already see the house. It stood out in the middle of the wide-open field.

Jess hesitated after she exited the car. "I hope we don't interrupt them in the middle of… well, you know." The color in her cheeks intensified.

"What if we do?" Wilson shrugged. "House never worried about that with me or anyone else."

They strolled to the door and knocked, but there wasn't any answer. "Where could they be?" Jessica asked.

Wilson shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they don't want to answer the door."

They waited a few minutes then knocked again. Still nothing.

"They weren't at the diner earlier and now they're not here." Wilson looked around. "Let's go home and see if they're working on House's new office."

"Do you really think so?"

He shook his head. "But I'm sure we can find something to do there if they aren't."

"I like the way you think, doctor." She smiled.

They drove back to Hanbury Street. There were no signs of House and Cameron on the ground floor, but they weren't looking for them anymore.

* * *

After lunch, Hadley rode along as Anita returned to Steve's car in Snow Hill. It was still where she left it.

"Now I'm starting to worry. This is a residential area." Anita indicated the two-story apartment buildings all around them. "The only reason he'd be here would be to check where Lori lived. That couldn't have taken long, so why hasn't he returned to his car?"

"Do you want to look inside it?"

Anita nodded. "Stay here." They'd parked three car-lengths behind it.

"Signal if you need my help."

"Yeah." Anita was already out of the car and sprinted toward Steve's. She glanced through the driver's side window but nothing was there nothing on any of the seats or the floor. She took in a breath and let it out, pulled on a pair of plastic gloves then moved around to the trunk. With her lock picks, she opened it and breathed a sigh of relief when that, too, was empty.

She closed the trunk and returned to the driver's door, pulled on the handle, and it opened. Surprised, she slipped inside and opened the glove box, pulling out the owner's manual, a tire gauge, and an insurance card made out to Steven Holder. The console between the driver's and passenger's seats held a flashlight and a few quarters.

She got out, attempted to lock the car but couldn't without a key-fob, and returned to Hadley. "We should go check his room at the motel."

"If there was a problem, the cleaning crew would have reported it to Zach." Hadley had caught some of her partner's anxiety.

"You mean a body. No, I don't think so. I just want to know if there's any indication that Steve's been there the last couple of days." Anita grimaced. "After that we find out who's seen him and where he has been."

* * *

Cameron followed the hammering to the work area of the garage. A young, tow-headed man bent over an engine, pulled from a nearby car. "Luke?"

He turned, wiped his hands on a towel at his waist and said, "Yeah, I'm Luke." His overalls were stained with grease.

"My friend and I broke down about six or seven miles down the road." She half-turned to point. "We need a mechanic."

He seemed to mull that over. "You walk seven miles?"

"Amy drove me the last five." She realized she probably should have paid her for her trouble.

"Amy, huh?" Luke seemed surprised. "Where'd she skedaddle to?"

"Back home she said."

"Guess, since I'm the only mechanic in these parts, she was right to bring you here." Luke glanced at the engine he'd been working on. "Guess that's not going anywhere. Let me get my tools."

They got into his Ford pickup and drove back to House and the car.

While Luke immediately went to the car to find out why it died, House asked Cameron, "Where'd you find this hayseed?"

"This mechanic was working on an engine in his shop. I had to walk miles, then convince a woman to drive me even more miles to the hamlet where he was."

"Any signal there?"

She chuckled. "I didn't even think to check. But Luke will have us rolling again before long and we can drive to Salisbury or Baltimore where we'll have strong signals." Then she studied him. "And what do you need a signal for, now that we have a mechanic."

An hour later, Luke shook his head. "I don't know what's wrong."

Cameron and House exchanged glances. "I'd hate to leave it here on the side of the road. You couldn't tow it somewhere, could you?" she asked.

""Fraid not. Don't have a truck that'll tow it. I can take you to Salisbury. Buddy of mine there, he might be able to help."

"I'll go this time," House said.

But Luke said he'd send someone.

House and Cameron just nodded, got into their car and settled in for a long wait. Their idea for a restful ride in the country hadn't played out the way they thought.

* * *

Anita and Hadley stopped at the office before knocking on Steve's motel room door. Zach smiled at them. "What can I do for you, ladies?"

"Have you seen Steve in the last couple of days?"

Zach shook his head. "He paid for a week in advance."

"What about the cleaning people? Has he slept in his room?"

"You'd have to ask them. They should still be cleaning the rooms. Maria would know."

They left in search of Maria. They found one of the cleaning people in the first room, and she said the head housekeeper should be toward the other end of the row of rooms, near the diner.

As they passed Steve's room they knocked, not expecting anyone to be there. They'd been right.

Maria saw them approach. "Are you looking for me?"

"Yes. Has Steve Holder slept at the motel the last couple of nights? He's the man in room six."

"The friend of the man who was killed?" She seemed to think. "Not last night, but I think he was here the night before."

"Can I look in his room?" Anita had initially stayed at the motel when she came to Shelby, so Maria knew her, but to further convince her, Anita took out her badge.

"Of course." The housekeeper removed a pile of keycards from her uniform pocket and led the way back to room six. She opened the door. "Pull the door closed when you're finished." She flashed a smile.

The bed was neatly made, thanks to the cleaning staff. Nothing in the trash cans. Steve's suitcase was still there, but he'd taken his laptop. The bathroom counter held his toothbrush and razor, a few toiletries, all neatly lined up.

"Nothing here," Hadley said.

"Hmmm." Anita ran a hand under the mattress, finding nothing.

Finally satisfied they wouldn't find anything, Anita pulled down the lever on the door as someone unlocked it.


	52. Chapter 52

Well let's see how we can rescue House and Cameron

 **Chapter 52.**

Anita stood back, banging her calf against the bed. No time to hide. No place either. Had Steve returned? She didn't have enough time to think beyond that before the door opened and Curt walked in.

"Anita, what a pleasant surprise. And your pet too. Were you waiting for Steve?"

"As a matter of fact, we were. He hasn't been here for a day or two, and after what happened with Harve, the housekeeping staff grew concerned." She didn't mind stretching the truth for the traitor before her. "Did you send him on a mission somewhere other than Shelby? I thought he was looking into what he could find here."

Curt shrugged. "He probably went to check on the girl's apartment."

"For two days?" Anita couldn't keep her voice from rising.

"He had to find out if anyone tried to contact her."

"Hello." Her voice went up again on the 'o'. "The girl's friends know she's in Princeton, and may remain there."

"Yeah, but… " Curt backed away.

"Don't yeah but me. What have you learned?" she demanded to know.

He'd gone from nonchalant to defensive to angry in the span of a few minutes. Next, he took a stance. "You no longer work for the agency. No need for you to know. And I especially don't want to talk about this in front of her." He indicated Hadley with his chin. "What do you think you're doing, bringing a civilian in on something like this?"

"Oh, so now I can investigate, but I can't share with my partner?"

"Guys, guys." Hadley got between them. "You're both shouting. I don't think you want the cleaning crew to hear what you're talking about." She turned to Curt. "If I leave, will you tell Anita what you found out in Princeton?" She glanced at Anita and raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe." Curt pursed his lips and crossed his arms.

"And then you can tell me why you've been corresponding with Shpeeone." She did her best at giving the name a Russian pronunciation.

Curt's mouth fell open.

"This is where I definitely leave." Hadley finger-waved at Anita and left the room.

"Where did you learn about that?" Curt stared at Anita.

"You don't think I still know how to do research? Honestly, I wonder how you've continued to work for our government in any capacity with your sloppiness."

"You think I'm a spy?"

She was sure of it, but wanted to hear his denial. "Are you?"

"No!" He took a deep breath and let it out. "I know I make mistakes sometimes, and other times I get myself into situations that look suspicious." He thudded onto the bed and rubbed his face.

Anita took one last look around. "I'm through here. You won't find anything we didn't, but be my guest." She left the room. Hadley wasn't outside, so Anita headed back down the walkway processing what Curt said and didn't say. She entered the diner and grinned when she saw Hadley sitting alone in the booth.

"What'd he say?" Hadley asked.

"Nothing interesting. Frankly, I don't think he really looked. And as for Steve, he doesn't have a clue where his own operative is." Anita rubbed the side of her face. "I can't believe him."

The place was relatively empty since it was mid-afternoon, so Linda stopped by to talk. "Surprised to see the two of you here now."

"Looking for Steve," Anita said. "Have you seen him?"

Linda shook her head. "Not since yesterday morning."

"Let us know if he shows up here," Hadley said.

Anita's phone rang. She checked the caller ID and answered, moving away from the booth. "Yes, Chief. That was the only evidence left behind by the thief. Still, it had to be someone who knew where the ballots were kept and which window to crawl through."

"We're not getting any fingerprints off the two ballots." Anderson sounded disappointed.

"I'll get a list of anyone who doesn't want this election to take place."

"Or is on the ballot and thinks they'll lose." Anderson chuckled. "I'll leave it to you."

"Right, Chief." She sauntered back to the booth where Remy and Linda were in the middle of a discussion of the upcoming election.

"Heard the absentee ballots were stolen," Linda said.

It was common knowledge by then, so Anita nodded. "Know anyone who didn't want this election to happen?"

"No, but a few on the ballot haven't a snowballs chance in hell." Linda laughed.

"Who? I'm new enough around here I don't know the players."

"Heard the guy runnin' for mayor, what's his name? Enright I think. He'll never win. Will Davis has a lock on it."

Anita took notes on her phone. "Anyone else who might hold a grudge?"

"Well, there's always Frank Overton. Dr. Cameron has him beat by a mile. And Sam Garcia, but I don't think he'd stoop to something like this."

"Thanks, Linda, that's very helpful."

"Guess you din't find fingerprints at the scene, huh?"

"Unfortunately, only partials. The person was careful."

"Well that lets Garcia out. He's never careful."

* * *

House crumpled the wrapper of the candy bar he'd just devoured. "Maybe we should stay stuck here so we don't have to have our housewarming party." He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Cameron asked. "For a few hours on Saturday, our friends will visit and see the wonderful home we've made, and then they'll go home and you and I can have privacy."

"I suppose."

"And don't you want to open your new practice?" she went on. "Find out if the team can guess why you think all the patients are suffering from the same thing?"

"Maybe."

"What about all the rooms we haven't christened?" She fluttered her eyelashes as she continued to give him reasons to return to Shelby. "Could you live without Mo's cooking and pies?"

"You have a point."

She laughed. "Which one, the sex or the food?"

"I'm hungry."

"For which?

"Not gonna get either waiting here," he said, but at that moment a tow truck arrived.

"You the ones needing a tow?" the driver asked when he descended from the cab.

"Do you see any other broken down cars around here?" House said as he got out of the Alfa.

"Don't see many of these." The man inspected the car. Then he looked for a point where he could attach his hitch.

Cameron got out, and he grinned. "A car like this deserves a piece like that." He whistled.

"Dr. Cameron and I would love to chat, but we have a car that needs tending to," House growled.

"Yeah, yeah. No need to get hot under the collar."

Cameron walked to the truck. "Are you Jerry?" she asked pointing to the logo on the driver's side door.

"Yeah. Jerry, that's me."

"Well, Jerry, why don't you hook up our car and take us to your repair shop in… " House stopped to read the rest of the lettering. "… Curly." Under his breath he added, "Wherever that is."

"That's a T. Turly. My cousin got fancy with it." He looked at the Alfa again. "This has to be flat-bedded." He got in and operated the mechanism to extend the bed of his truck to accommodate the sports car and hoisted it on. House watched the process, fascinated.

They got into the truck cab with Cameron sitting in the middle of the bench seat. She pulled on her seat belt, then couldn't find where to attack it. Jerry showed her. Then they were off.

The ride took more than half an hour. They pulled into a large car and truck repair facility in a town much larger than the one Cameron had been in earlier.

"This is more like it," she said, smiling.

"How long will it take?" House asked Jerry.

"Depends on what we find." He pointed to the one-story building at one end of the property. "You can wait in our lounge, and I'll come find you after we check it out."

House looked around at the nearby businesses in the town, but none called to him, so he strode to the lounge with Cameron a step behind him. He sneered when he saw the vending machines, making Cameron laugh.

"Just think. You have your choice of candy or chips. Or both for a balanced diet," she said.

"This wasn't what I had in mind when we left home this morning."

"Me either, but I guess we have to roll with whatever the dice decide."

"Is that an Oriental saying?"

"Could be." She walked over to the machines to study them more closely. "They have cheese crackers and granola bars."

"Leave it to you to look for the healthiest alternatives when you could have a Snickers or a Milky Way and rippled chips."

She laughed again as she opened her change purse.

"Two dollars? Highway robbery," House said as he fed a couple of singles.

They settled on plastic chairs with candy and soft drinks and waited.

* * *

Wilson and Jessica emerged from their bedroom around three in the afternoon. "I'm still curious about where House and Cameron have disappeared to." He found his phone on the kitchen counter where it was charging and tapped House's cellphone number. There was no answer so he left a message, "Call me when you have a chance." Then he sent a text that didn't say anything more.

"Why are you so worried about him? He'll surface when he wants to," Jess said. "Let's put our brains together to figure out what House thinks the patients have."

"Maybe your brother and his pals came up with something."

"Good idea." She called him.

At least Bart answered. "What's up, Jess?"

"We wondered whether the team has diagnosed your patient or Dr. Chatterji's."

"We gave up trying a while ago. Playing cards instead. Would you believe Anaya never played rummy?" He muttered something away from the phone that sounded like, "Should I invite them?"

Jessica smiled at the thought of spending the rest of the afternoon with them.

Bart was back. "Why don't the two of you come over, add your brains to our attempts."

She looked at Wilson and put her hand over the phone, not that it would mask what she said. "Wanna go over there? Join their deliberation?"

He shrugged. "Got nothing better to do."

They'd grabbed their jackets and were out the door when Wilson's phone rang.

"Fancy a ride out to the middle of nowhere?" House asked.

"We were— What's going on? Why haven't you answered your phone?"

"Cameron and I were out in the Alfa and it died. We're in the exciting metropolis of Hurly, Maryland."

Cameron's voice called out, "That's Turly."

"Right. That's what I said. Turly," House said. "They say it'll take at least a couple of hours. Need a ride home."

"And what does it get me if I drive out there to get you?"

House seemed to think about that. "How 'bout another clue. But only if you don't pass it on to the team."

"OK, but it'll take me a while to get out there."

"Yeah, easily forty-five minutes. Make that fifty-five the way you drive."

"Keep that up and I won't come."

"See you."

Wilson ended the call and told Jessica House's tale of woe. "I'll drive out there. Want me to drop you at the team's place?"

"No, I'll come with you. Do you really think House will divulge more about what he's thinking?"

"About the patients? I hope so." As they got in the car, he said, "Better call your brother and tell him we're not coming."

She grimaced. "I better not tell him that House offered to give you another clue about the right diagnosis."

"No, you probably shouldn't." Wilson face was covered with a wide grin.

* * *

"My sister and Wilson aren't coming." Simpson shook his head. "Something about having to rescue House and Cameron in the wilds of Maryland."

"What were they doing there?" Jacobs asked.

Magnani looked smug. "Not tending to their patients, I bet."

"Well, neither are we really," Chatterji said. "It's the weekend."

"Yes, but we've talked about our cases." Magnani scratched his ear. "How much you wanna bet they're not?"

"They already know what's wrong. It's us who don't." Simpson threw a card.

Chatterji grinned. "Gin."

"You sure you never played before?" Magnani laughed. "Beginner's luck, my foot. Bet you played gin before with your family back home in… "

"Minneapolis. No. Never played. But we played other games. If you're observant of what other people throw, it helps." She narrowed her dark eyes. "What, you thought I came from India?"

"No." Magnani shrugged. "I didn't know where you came from."

"What Rocco's saying is that we don't know a lot about you." Jacobs smiled. "Other than that you're an excellent doctor and we enjoy having you visit."

Magnani smiled too. "Anaya, we're all glad you've become our friend."


	53. Chapter 53

House and Cameron are about to be rescued, but lots of other things are happening to the gang.

 **Chapter 53.**

Wilson and Jessica found House and Cameron sitting in the car repair shop lounge. They both looked spent.

"You can tell us what happened on the way to Shelby." Wilson looked at House's sour expression. "Or not." They all got into the car with House taking the front passenger seat. "When will your car be done?" Wilson asked

"They'd said a couple of hours, but that was before they decided it needed a part they don't have. So hopefully next week some time."

"We decided to take a ride in the country." Cameron was less reticent about what happened. "I thought we might find a nice restaurant somewhere, have a good meal and then head home."

"Car died." House's mouth twisted.

Cameron's eyebrow went up. "And I walked miles for help."

"First guy she brought had _no_ idea what he was doing." House turned to give Cameron an annoyed look.

She sighed. "He sent someone else who towed the car here and brought us along."

"When they said they had to order the part, I called you. End of story."

"You must be hungry," Jessica said.

Cameron smirked. "He gorged on chocolate bars."

"You ate your share." House settled into his seat and faced forward as Wilson pulled out of the lot.

"I noticed a neat place to eat on our way here," Jessica said. "Why don't we stop?" She looked at Cameron.

"Sure. Do you remember where it was?"

"On the other side of the next village, I believe." Jess pointed straight ahead.

"Should we?" Wilson glanced at House who shook his head. "Why do I even ask?"

They drove through the village. On the right side of the road appeared a country inn.

"Perfect," Cameron said.

Wilson pulled in and the two couples got out. The place had a rustic charm, inside and out, with hand-carved tables and chairs, gingham tablecloths and curtains, and large-grain wood paneled walls. The menu choices were heavy on potatoes and noodles, tending toward German fare.

"My mouth's watering for the goulash," Jessica said.

Wilson's eyebrows went up. "I didn't know you liked that kind of stuff."

"Our grandmother made it all the time when we visited. And chicken and dumplings."

"Why don't I get one and you get the other, then we can share and each have both?"

She grinned. "Deal."

"Those both sound good," Cameron said. "But I think I'm going to have the baked chicken and mashed potatoes. How 'bout you, House?"

"I haven't had bratwurst or German potato salad in a long time."

They placed their orders.

"Now this is the kind of place I originally had in mind for today." Cameron looked around at the décor.

"So, ready to spill?"

"Spill what?"

"What you think all four patients are suffering from," Wilson said. "From what I understand, the team doesn't have a clue."

"It begins with an A." House sat back with a satisfied grin on his face. He was sure everyone would think the problem was a rare disease, when in fact, it was all too common and should have been the first thing they thought of. So many people, including doctors, don't consider the obvious.

Wilson and Jessica, for instance, guessed at diseases that didn't fit the symptoms, like Ablepharon-Macrostomia Syndrome or Acanthocheilonemiasis. House waited, not ready yet to put them out of their misery.

Their food came and they were halfway through their meal when he said, "I said it wasn't life threatening. Okay, another hint." He cupped his chin as if he was thinking, which he was. "The name has four consonants in a row."

Wilson made a face at him, but Jessica just frowned. They still hadn't come up with the answer before they finished eating and got back in the car for the rest of the ride back to Shelby.

"Maybe if we talk about something else it'll come to me," Wilson said. "What's this we hear about missing ballots?"

"Seems the absentee votes were stolen," Cameron said. "That's all I know so far. I hope that doesn't mean the election will be delayed. I just want it over with at this point."

"That's 'cause you're gonna win," House said.

"Not sure which I fear more, winning or losing." She crossed her arms.

Sitting beside her, Jess patted her shoulder. "Oh, you'll win. Everyone in Shelby loves you."

"I wouldn't go that far," House said. "There may be a couple of hold-outs."

"You'll be the best thing that happened to the town council." Wilson smiled. "They haven't done a bad job, but between you and Will, I can see great things happening here."

"I hope so."

They chatted about what the town needed until they reached the northern outskirts.

"Where to?" driver Wilson asked.

It didn't take long for House to say, "The diner of course. I'm still stuffed from that meal but I have a hankering for a piece of pie."

* * *

Anita had been at her computer for hours, investigating all the candidates for election.

"Want something to drink?" Hadley asked.

"Hmmm?"

Hadley laughed and poured herself a glass of wine and one for Anita. She place the second glass on Anita's desk far enough from the computer to be safe and turned on her own. "Might as well do some research too."

Anita looked up at the wine glass with surprise. She smiled and took a sip. "Seems Frank Overton might be involved in some shady real estate deals."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"The property's out on Harbor Road." Anita's forehead furrowed. "Wonder why he was so opposed to installing road lights out that way then."

"Does it abut House and Cameron's property?"

"I think it's close to town, but I'd have to check more carefully on a survey map." She looked up from her screen. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm cross checking the symptoms of the four patients," Hadley said. "And the possible diagnoses based on each of them. Might as well help my team. Wouldn't want them to be stumped by House."

"Right."

"What about the other candidates?" Hadley remembered one. "Sam Garcia?"

"He seemed to like Cameron," Anita said. "He wouldn't be too upset if she won instead of him."

"But you'll check the whereabouts of all the candidates at the time the ballots were stolen, right?"

"Later. Let's go get some food. I'm starving." Anita turned off her computer and stood.

* * *

"Should we eat here?" Jacobs asked. "Or head back to the diner?"

"Depends on whether there's enough of Rocco's lasagna left for us all." Simpson headed to the kitchen to check, but was back quickly. "Guess not. Only enough for one or two."

They grabbed their coats and left the house. "You think House will be at the diner? Maybe we can pick his brain again."

"It's House, remember?" Jacobs shook her head.

"So he's not going to help us diagnose our patients?" Chatterji asked.

Simpson laughed. "Are you kidding?"

Jacobs shook her head. "Anaya, House plays games, whenever he can."

"And he doesn't care about how it affects the patient," Magnani said. "Or in this case, all four patients."

"I see." She stopped before getting into her car.

"You'll get used to it." Simpson smiled. "Sometimes it's actually fun to try to beat him, even though we never have."

Jacobs chuckled. "No, and I don't think our boss or Dr. Cameron ever did in the past."

"So our only hope is to diagnose them ourselves," Chatterji said.

"Exactly. Or to wait a week until House and Cameron's open house."

"We can't do that," Jacobs said.

"I'll follow you." Chatterji opened her car door.

"Mind if I ride with you?" Simpson asked.

She grinned. "Not at all."

Jacobs and Magnani took his car. "I'm glad Bart's riding with Anaya," he said.

"So am I, but I bet it's for a different reason."

"Why are you glad?"

Jacobs laughed. "Because it means they're spending time alone together."

"Alone together's an oxymoron."

"You know what I mean." She squeezed his arm.

"Yeah, well, I'm glad we can be alone together." He grinned and pulled her closer then kissed her before starting the car.

They drove to the diner, arriving a couple of minutes after Simpson and Chatterji.

"What took you so long?" Simpson asked.

They didn't bother to answer.

The four of them were the only ones there of the usual group.

"Where do you suppose they've all gotten off to?" Jacobs asked, but didn't expect anyone present could answer.

Just when they thought no one else would show, Hadley and Anita arrived. Anita, too, asked, "Where's everyone else?"

"Not that we need them." Hadley smiled at her team. "I hope you've had more luck than I did in diagnosing the patients."

Jacobs glanced at the others. "We expected you to have come up with what they have."

"No such luck. We were busy working on Anita's two cases that have nothing to do with anyone's health and everything to do with where's Steve and who stole the ballots."

"What about the people about to lose to Dr. Cameron and Will Davis?" Simpson asked.

Anita nodded. "We're looking into them. One of them might have done it himself or hired someone to climb through that window. It's not very big."

"Is that how they got in? How did they know where the ballots were kept?"

"Exactly. I want to question the two secretaries who place the ballots in that room. I've an appointment for tomorrow."

"How will this affect the election?" Simpson asked.

"They may have to postpone it long enough for everyone who voted absentee to send in their votes again."

"And what do you mean about Steve?" Magnani looked around. "Haven't seen him for a couple of days."

"No one has. He hasn't even slept here at the motel. His car's been parked in the same spot for two days."

"Wow!" Chatterji exclaimed. "It's like a murder mystery only without the body."

Anita smiled at her. "That's what it is. Now I have to solve it."

"It's not that different from diagnosing what's wrong with a patient," Hadley said.

The four young doctors nodded.

"Anyway, if anyone catches sight of Steve, let me know," Anita said.

"Of course." Jacobs spoke for all of them.

"So where are you on the patients?" Hadley said.

They told her they'd been stumped after discussing them for a couple of hours.

"I'm afraid I didn't find anything to help." Hadley bit her lower lip. "I found all sorts of rare diseases and syndromes that fit one or another of the patients, but not all."

"We're missing something," Chatterji said. "Something Dr. House noticed. Something staring us right in the face."

Jacobs sighed. "We just have to find that something."

All eyes turned to the door as House, Cameron, Wilson and Jessica walked in.

"My ears are ringing," House said as he slid into the booth. "So, did anyone guess?"

Five heads shook back and forth.

"Do you know what it is, Dr. Wilson?" Jacobs asked.

"No, even with the clues House gave me. I'm stumped."

"There are clues?" Simpson said. He stared at his sister, but she'd been sworn to secrecy.

"We still have a week. I bet we'll figure it out," Magnani said.

"I don't know." Heather crossed her arms. "We're getting nowhere with this."

Cameron bit back a smile. "If the patients were in any danger, we'd tell you. I'm surprised you haven't guessed by now."

"That's because you know," Wilson said.

House turned his attention to Hadley and Anita. "You're particularly silent."

Anita shook her head. "I'm out of this game of yours. Not a doctor. Not a player. I have my own riddles to solve." She glanced at Hadley. "In fact, I have a few phone calls to make, if you'll excuse me."

They played musical chairs to let her out, shifting around the table.

"I'll be back," Anita told Hadley.

"The missing ballots?" Cameron asked.

"Yes. And the missing Steve."

"I thought he left," House said.

"No. At least not voluntarily." Hadley hesitated before going on. "His car's in Snow Hill. His clothing and other items are in his room here." She pointed out the door. "Curt's not being very helpful."

"So where were you all?" Simpson asked. "Jess called to say something about a rescue?"

"Took a ride. Car died. End of story," House said.

Cameron shook her head and looked toward the ceiling. "We called Wilson, and he and Jessica came to pick us up in Turly."

"Where's that?" Magnani asked.

"Couldn't tell you exactly, although we'll have to find it again to get our car back.


	54. Chapter 54

Now we have to see what happened to the missing Steve

 **Chapter 54.**

"They've decided to postpone the election," Anita reported the next day at breakfast.

Several voice sounded at the same time. She held up a hand. "Whoa." But that didn't stop the comments, so she put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

Silence reigned. "Dr. Cameron first, since she's the only candidate here."

"I just wanted to know how long it would be postponed for."

"Until absentee ballots are sent in again. We might lose or gain a few in the process, but it's all that can happen now." She turned to House. "Doctor?"

"I guess we should assume you didn't find the missing votes, otherwise you wouldn't go through the trouble, but do you even have any clues?"

"Officially? No. But off the record, there are a few details I'll follow-up on." That was all she'd say on the subject. "Jessica, didn't you try to ask something?"

"Yes, how do they know who voted absentee?"

"They don't, only those who asked for an absentee ballot. Close to five hundred people. They'd received between three and four hundred back." She looked at Remy. "Guess yours was one of them."

"I hope so. I mailed it two weeks ago, since I didn't know where I'd be on election day and I didn't want to worry about missing voting."

Anita scanned the other faces. "I think you said something earlier, Bart."

"You've already answered my question. It was the same as Cameron's." He sat back.

"Rocco?"

"Can you still ask for an absentee ballot even if you didn't before?"

Anita's smile twisted. "That's a good question and one I'm not qualified to answer, but you could ask Pamela Bradford."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Cameron asked.

"You just want to get the election over with," House said.

"Yes. I'm concerned about too many other things, including my patients and the party next weekend."

"Guess it won't be the celebratory party we thought," Jacobs said, "but we can still celebrate you moving to your new place."

"We still don't even have the corrected invitations. I suppose we don't have to deal with a list of those who respond."

"Maybe you can deliver them with the absentee ballots." Wilson quipped.

"Interesting suggestion, but the invite list is quite different from the list of those who requested absentee ballots."

All heads turned to the door as Curt walked in. He must have seen Anita was surrounded by other people, because he sat at the counter, but she had no qualms about calling to him. "Any sign of Steve?"

He walked over. "Keep your voice down."

"Why? Half the town knows he's missing. Maybe one of them can help." She waved a hand to include everyone in the booth. "I don't remember whether you've met all of these people. Everyone, this is Curt." She grinned. "Curt, the gang."

A chorus of "Hi Curt," was followed by laughs and giggles.

"Look, can I speak to you alone?" He glanced at the booth's occupants. "There's been a development."

She shrugged and walked to the counter with him. Their heads practically touched as they engaged in a whispered conversation. Finally, Anita said quite a bit louder, "My friends are all doctors. They can help."

He looked back at them.

"Dr. Cameron's clinic is right across the alley." She pointed. "We'll meet you there."

With a nod, he left, and she returned to the booth. "Cameron, could you come with me?"

The others let Cameron out, but House came with her. "What's up?" he asked as the three of them walked out.

The others watched through the window as Curt drove across the alley, and Anita, Cameron and House walked.

* * *

Anita helped Curt bring his passenger into the clinic. Cameron had opened the outer door and the door to the exam room.

"Bring him in here." Cameron indicated the exam table.

"Where was he?" House asked.

Curt hesitated.

"You can tell him. If you don't, we may be at this longer than we have to be," Anita said.

Cameron had already started cutting Steve's blood-soaked clothing from his stomach and cleaned the skin around a huge gash.

Meanwhile, House took his pulse and temperature. "Pulse is thready and slow. A temperature of one hundred point three indicates an infection."

Cameron nodded. "The cut is infected. I treated it with a topical antibiotic, but I'll have to hook him up with a drip." She installed a port.

"He's probably dehydrated, too." House turned back to Curt. "So, where was ityou said you found him?"

"I didn't." Curt glared at House.

"You know I've been looking for him for a couple of days," Anita said. "You can tell me."

"Oh, all right." Curt rubbed his face. "He was in the kid's one-room apartment, on the floor, spread out like DaVinci's Universal Man."

"I'd guess he was there at least a day, maybe two," Cameron said. She set up the drips with help from Anita.

"He'll remain unconscious for a while?"

"Well, yes. But he can't stay here. There's no one to monitor his condition."

"Can you take him home?"

She glanced at House. "I suppose we have room, but we're having a party next Saturday, so he'd have to be moved again before then."

Anita thought about that. "Remy and I could monitor him is we leave him in one of the exam room at House's new practice."

"It's opening on Monday." House glared.

"So? You expecting dozens of cases? You'll be lucky the first week to get any besides Dr. Carter."

"You're both gone a lot, though. And then there's Wilson and Jessica. You can't go running up and down past their place constantly." Cameron shook her head. "The only solution is if we take him home with us. He'll be on his feet again in a few days."

"And who'll monitor his condition while you're both at work?" Curt asked.

House and Cameron turned as one to Curt. "Guess we're going to have two visitors." Cameron chuckled. "Good thing it's a large house."

"Besides, don't you want to question him when he wakes up?" House asked.

* * *

"What just happened?" Simpson asked.

"Either Curt needs medical attention, or someone else does," Hadley guessed.

"I'd say it had to be Steve," Magnani said. "Should we offer to help?"

Wilson shook his head. "I don't think Curt would appreciate our interference. Let's wait and see if they come back to ask us."

"I have faith in House and Cameron to handle any medical crises it could be."

They focused on their meals, but it was obviously nagging at a few of them.

Hadley let her fork fall to her plate with a clatter. "If it's Steve, I hope he can tell them what happened to him. Where he's been the last couple of days."

"At least it'll solve one of Anita's mysteries," Wilson said. "If it's Steve, that is."

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here." Magnani crossed his arms. "Curt came in here alone. If he had Steve in the car, he probably spoke to him and found out where he's been."

"Unless he was unconscious," Chatterji said. "I mean, wouldn't he have brought Steve with him if he was conscious?"

"Unless he didn't want anyone else to know what Steve had to say." Jacobs pressed her lips together.

Wilson shook his head. "Unless Steve's dead."

"He wouldn't have asked for medical help in that case." Hadley scratched her head. "All our speculation won't get us anywhere. Anita will tell us all when she returns. Or else she won't if it's a matter of National security."

* * *

"Guess we won't learn anything just yet." Jessica pointed out the window. "Isn't that Curt's car, the one he drove to the clinic earlier?"

"Where are they all going so fast?" Jacobs asked. "They're going the wrong way if they're heading to the hospital."

Hadley's eyes narrowed. "I don't know, but Anita and Cameron just got into Anita's car. Now they're following Curt."

They exchanged puzzled glances then quickly shot out the door and into their cars to give chase.

As they followed Anita and Cameron, Wilson said, "I'm sure they won't want us interfering, but I have to know what's going on."

"Me too," Jessica said. She turned to their back seat. Hadley had decided to go with them rather than go alone. "You know Anita. What do you think she has in mind?"

"Beats me. If Steve's hurt, they could have treated him in the clinic and that would be that."

"That's what I thought at first, then I thought they were headed for Hanbury Street. House has more equipment than the clinic."

Jess pointed ahead of them. "Now they've turned down Harbor Road. Could they be heading for House and Cameron's house?"

"Seems that way." They sped past the schools and out through the undeveloped areas.

"One of Cameron's opponents for the seat on the council owns property out here," Hadley said.

"They're not stopping."

"Look, they've turned into the lane for House and Cameron's new place."

"Cute sign," Hadley said.

"I'll park before we get to the house. See what we can." Wilson turned onto ground with no plants.

They sat in the car at the side of the lane. The car carrying the team and Chatterji pulled up next to them with Magnani driving. He opened his window and Jess did the same in Wilson's car.

"They can see us if they turn around," Jess said.

"They're too busy, carrying someone into the house."

"Steve, more than likely."

"Yeah."

* * *

"We've got company," House said as he followed Cameron into the house.

"They're too curious for their own good." Anita carried Steve's legs while Curt supported his shoulders and upper body.

"Take him toward the back of the house." Cameron pointed. "There's a guest room there with a double bed. It should be the best place for him." She followed Anita and Curt carrying Steve, while House held back, deciding what to do about Wilson, Jessica and the team. Cameron had a bag with her containing all she thought she'd need to care for Steve. "Go on back to the kitchen. There's water and beer in the refrigerator. Help yourselves."

Once they were gone, she examined Steve. The ride from the clinic hadn't helped his condition. She shook her head then looked more closely at his injuries. She hadn't noticed a bump on the back of his head before. Perhaps it hadn't been there, but she thought she'd just missed it. She had the equipment to hook up an IV.

House joined her. "They're sitting in their cars. I'm not about to invite them in."

"You could tell them the tour of the house will have to wait until Saturday." She chuckled.

"First, how's the patient?" He stepped closer to the bed.

"Besides the injuries I treated at the clinic, he has a bump." She indicated where it was, and House nodded.

"That wasn't self-inflicted," House said.

"None of his injuries were. So, who attacked him?" Cameron asked. "How long was he lying there unconscious at Loralei's apartment, and was he attacked by the same person who killed Harve?"

"Yup." House nodded. "There's also Loralei's grandparents' murders."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do we know for sure Harve killed them?"

"That's what Anita suspects."

"House, do you trust Curt?"

"Anita doesn't," he shrugged, "but if he was the one killed Harve and attacked Steve, he wouldn't have been looking for him earlier."

"True. We'd better get back to them before they drink all your beer."

House sneered before they left Steve. "Do we really have to acknowledge the snoopers out in our front yard?"

"Wilson, at least, is stubborn enough that he won't leave until we tell them something." She smiled. "I'll take care of it."

She slipped on her jacket and went outside. When she waved to everyone, they got out of their cars.

She smiled. "I know the invites haven't gone out yet, but the party's not until next Saturday. We have everything under control inside, and you'll be the first people we call if we need a consult."

"At least tell us, is it Steve?"

Cameron didn't see the harm in divulging that bit of information. "As you've no doubt guessed, Steve was injured and needed my help. He's stable, won't have to go to the hospital, but he needs peace and quiet." She smiled. "Thanks for your concern."

She watched them get back into their cars and drive back toward town. Her smile fell away and she returned to her critically injured patient.


	55. Chapter 55

Will Steve wake up? Well, let's see.

 **Chapter 55.**

Wilson's nose was out of joint that House and Cameron didn't trust him to help them take care of the injured agent, but he'd worn out his long-suffering act and decided to minimize the case. "If they're not taking Steve to a hospital, he can't be very ill." He sipped his coffee so he wouldn't have to say anymore.

"You're kidding, right?" Hadley crossed her arms.

"Anita will tell you all," Jess said. "But the rest of us will be in the dark until they're ready to tell."

"After we drove all that way to rescue them, they could have taken us into their confidence." Wilson let his frustration show after all. He hadn't needed much encouragement from the others. "I would expect this behavior of House, but not Cameron." He harrumphed.

"Do you think they could treat major injuries in their home?" Chatterji asked.

"I'm sure it's as well-equipped as a small hospital," Simpson replied.

Magnani shook his head. "I don't think they have an x-ray machine, though."

"Why didn't they take him to House's new office?" Jessica wondered aloud. "Now that's well equipped."

"Anything major they had to do, they could have already done at the clinic." Jacobs sighed then called Linda over. "I'd like more tea. Don't know about the rest of these layabouts."

"Who you calling a layabout?" Magnani stood from his seat at the end.

Instead of answering, she stood too. "Long as you're up, I'm off to the ladies room."

He let her out as well as Chatterji, who'd been trapped next to the window.

"Women," he muttered, "can never go to the bathroom alone."

"I was surprised to see Chatterji with you," Jessica said.

"She spent the afternoon with us." Simpson grinned.

Magnani smirked at him. "Bart's sweet on her."

* * *

House and Cameron sat around the kitchen table with Anita and Curt.

"Yes. Are you hungry?" Cameron asked Anita. "I might have the makings of sandwiches."

Anita helped her prepare a light lunch for all of them. The two men ate them without a "thank you," as if it was understood the two women would provide.

"Steve's sleeping restfully," Cameron said. "I assume you'll both stay here until he wakes up." She frowned, not thrilled about it, but also because House hated it.

Curt and Anita exchanged glances.

She tried to ease the tension. "In case I didn't say before, welcome to casa House and Cameron."

Anita put down her beer can. "We can leave and come back later."

"I want to be here when he wakens," Curt said.

"I can give you the fifty cent tour, practice for the party." Cameron stood.

Curt shrugged. "I've seen enough. Nice house. I'll stay here or wait in Steve's room."

"Technically it's not Steve's room but our guest room." House glared.

Anita was halfway up, but sat again. "You're not gonna be the first one to talk to him. If you stay with him, I will too."

"Don't you trust me?"

Anita's eyebrows couldn't go higher.

"Why don't we move this party to OUR GUEST room." House strode to the back of the house with the other three trailing behind.

Steve wasn't as restful as they'd thought. He moaned and twisted on the bed, any actual words slurred.

House commandeered one of the two chairs in the room, so Cameron said, "I'll bring a couple more."

"I'll help you." Anita followed her back to the kitchen and they each carried a chair to the guest room. "Steve's out for a while, isn't he?"

"I think so, but I can understand why you each want to be the first one to question him. You haven't reported his condition when Curt found him to your boss, have you?"

"No. Anderson thinks I'm spending my time working on the stolen ballot case, but today's Sunday, so I'm officially off duty."

"Are you? Any leads?" Cameron looked at her expectantly.

Anita shook her head. They'd reached the guest room. Silence except for Steve's moans.

"I'm going to check in with our dispatcher. Off duty or not, there might be news that I'll have to follow-up on." Anita left the chair she brought, and went out into the hallway.

"Ballot box?" House asked Cameron.

She nodded.

Anita walked slowly when she returned, her eyes downcast.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked.

"Word from Princeton. One of Lori's friends died, and Lori's not doing well, almost as if she's had a relapse." Anita dropped onto the chair.

"You grew close to the girl when you were there, didn't you?"

She shrugged. "She's all alone in the world. Apart from her two friends, there's no one, and now with one of them gone she doesn't have the will to live she once had."

"Did you want to go back to Princeton to see her?" Cameron asked.

Anita shook her head. "Too much going on here for me to leave. Maybe if I call her…"

"Do it now. You can invite her to Shelby for a visit. Give her something to look forward to."

"Thanks, Cameron." Anita stayed where she was while she called the girl. "Loralei, I heard about your friend."

Cameron only heard one half of the conversation, but by the end of it, Anita told Lori to spend time with her and Remy. Anita finally smiled as she ended the call. Before she could tell Cameron what Lori said, House ambled into the kitchen.

"You two ever coming back? Steve's waking up." As they walked back with him, he went on, "Hasn't said anything worth a damn yet."

Curt was peppering Steve with questions when they reached the room.

"Let him be." Anita approached the bed. "Steve, we were all worried about you."

"Anita. Where am I?" He tried to sit up and look around.

"You're in our new home," Cameron said. "What can you tell us about what happened to you?"

"Huh?" His hand went to his wounded stomach. "What happened to me?"

"That's what we asked," Curt said.

"Shush. Steve, Curt found you at Lorelei's apartment in Snow Hill. You had a gash in your stomach from a knife wound." Anita indicated Cameron. "She treated you and now you're in the guest room at their house."

Steve seemed to notice the drip for the first time. "Fluids?"

Cameron replied. "Yes. We don't know how long you were there. The drip is to keep you from becoming dehydrated."

He nodded slowly. "In Lorelei's, you say?"

"Stretched out on the floor." After a glance at Anita, Curt ventured to ask, "Do you remember going there?"

Steve hesitated. "I remember sitting outside the building in my car, watching the people go in and out." He narrowed his eyes as if that would help him remember more clearly but soon shook his head. "That's it."

"When was that?"

"Thursday, I think."

"It's Sunday."

"So I lost two whole days?" He shivered as light dawned. "I was out two days?"

"Seems that way."

"Who went in and out?"

"Huh?"

"Of Lorelei's building. Who entered and left?"

"Just people who lived there. The older woman who lived next door. I interviewed her before. And the young guy who had the downstairs apartment. A couple. I gathered they lived on the top floor, and their neighbor, an Asian woman."

"None of them had visitors?" Anita asked.

"They were mostly out during the day, except for Mrs. Rosen, the older woman. She told me she's retired."

"No deliveries? No mailman?" Curt was grasping at straws.

"Nope. Quietest building I ever cased. It did seem odd, though."

Anita's eyes narrowed, picturing the building. "Wasn't there a back entrance off an alley?"

"Oh, yeah. Where the garbage truck came by. I remember that. They drove in off the cross street, disappeared behind the building then came out the other side."

"I'll check when trash is picked up."

"Did you take any breaks, like for lunch?"

"Brought it with me."

No matter what questions they had for Steve, he had nothing more to add. Disappointed, Anita decided to leave.

* * *

"Guess we won't find out anything else tonight." Hadley slurped up the last of her iced tea. "Maybe we'll learn more tomorrow morning."

"Don't you expect Anita to come home tonight and tell you?" Wilson asked.

"Probably not. She's on a hot lead for the case. Won't stop until she hears whatever Steve knows about what happened to him."

Wilson, Jessica and Hadley left.

"Time for me to head back to Snow Hill." Chatterji was the next to stand.

"We'll see you at the hospital in the morning." Simpson smiled at her. "Glad you came to Shelby today." On impulse he leaned in for a chaste kiss."

Chatterji smiled as she walked away.

Simpson turned to his friends, expecting Magnani at least to tease him about it, but it never happened, and as they drove back to the house he felt a warmth and lightness he'd never felt before.

* * *

Anita decided they weren't going to learn much more from Steve that night, so she asked Cameron to drive her back to her car in the diner parking lot. The arrived after the gang left.

"How much are you going to tell Remy?" Cameron asked before Anita got out.

"As little as possible. It's hard sometimes keeping secrets from her, but I do have to think of National Security."

"It isn't as if you still worked for the bureau," Curt said.

"No, but they did agree I could continue my investigation." She sighed. "It was necessary to tell you and House, since we needed your help to patch up Steve, but I'd like to keep his stabbing quiet for a while. Maybe the perp will wonder what happened and why he isn't dead. Who knows what mistakes he'll make. I don't need to tell you, I suppose, but don't let Curt out of your site. I still don't trust him."

"We don't either. See you tomorrow. We'll let you know how it goes tonight."

She stepped out, closed the door and got into her own car.

Hadley was watching a movie when she walked through their door. "I didn't expect you to come home." The doctor stood and stepped closer.

"Neither did I." Anita had to decide what she'd tell. "Steve woke up but he didn't know what happened to him or even who…" She stopped. Where should she draw the line? "… who attacked him."

"Cameron treated any injuries?"

"Yes." Keep the answers simple, she told herself.

"What happened to Curt? Obviously he was the one who found Steve."

And vague. "Right."

Hadley studied Anita. "Why do I get the impression you don't want to talk about it?"

"I don't. Or rather, I'm not sure I can. Remy, I'm no longer an agent, but this is a sensitive case and I'm not sure I'm allowed to tell anyone." She bit her lip. "The only reason we involved House and Cameron was 'cause we needed their skills. Maybe when this is all over, I can tell you more. I'm not even sure I should have brought you along when I went to Snow Hill to find Steve."

"Guess I understand, but I still don't like it. It's as if you're keeping secrets from me." She paused, then went on, "So, what's the house like inside? You can tell me that."

Anita smiled. "Nice kitchen. Big with shiny new appliances and great wood cabinets. I'm afraid all I saw was the kitchen and a guest bedroom that looked like, well, a guest bedroom."

"We'll have to wait until Saturday to get the fifty cent tour."

* * *

Cameron showed Curt to the room next to the one Steve was in. "You can sleep in the other spare bedroom. We haven't finished furnishing it yet."

House was right behind them. "Can't decide whether we need another office in here."

The room held a single bed, nightstand and small table. No curtain on the two windows, no lighting except for a small lamp on the table.

"It'll do," Curt said. "I'll get my bag from my car."

After he left, House and Cameron exchanged grimaces.

"I never expected our first guests would be government agents," Cameron said. It felt odd to have strangers in the house. At least if it were Wilson and Jessica, or even Anita and Hadley, there'd be a fun aspect to it.

They went to their bedroom with its en suite bathroom and got ready for bed. But something was nagging at Cameron's brain.

"How did Curt get into Lorelei's apartment? Maybe more important, why did he look there in the first place?"

"We can't forget we don't know what Steve was looking for, or why Curt was so intent on finding him."

Her eyes went wide. "House, I hope one of them doesn't kill the other, not in our new house. It'll leave a taint, one it'll be hard to forget."


	56. Chapter 56

I'll be away for a long weekend beginning next Friday, and doubt I'll have a complete chapter by next Monday, but I may surprise myself. Meanwhile, back at the ranch… (if you don't get that reference, don't worry. Only us oldtimers might.)

 **Chapter 56.**

In the morning, House and Cameron found Curt in their kitchen puttering around, opening cupboards and humming to himself. That is, humming and whistling "Whistle While you Work," off key and in too high a range for his voice.

"Here, let us do that. Sit at the table and tell us why Steve was here in Shelby and Snow Hill, and why you wanted to find him," Cameron filled the coffeemaker with water, checked there were enough beans in the hopper, and turned it on. "I usually set this up in the evening, but we were so busy last night it slipped my mind."

Curt sat in what was usually House's chair, but at a glaring look from the doctor, switched to another one. He licked his lips and scratched his ear, no doubt hoping Cameron would forget her question.

House wouldn't let him get away with it. He took out mugs and lined them up next to the coffeemaker, then turned to Curt. "Dr. Cameron asked you two questions. They seemed perfectly clear to me."

The agent took in a breath and let it out slowly. "The first is simple if not obvious. He was supposed to watch to see if anyone approached the apartment. Actually the second is simple too. Steve hadn't checked in for a couple of days. I couldn't very well ask Anita about him, so I drove to the last place I knew he was. Found his car empty." He shrugged. "So I tried the kid's apartment."

"Was the door open?" House brought over the mugs.

"What? Yes. I didn't break in. Whoever attacked Steve left it unlocked but closed." Curt sipped and let out a sigh.

Cameron took two pieces of toast from the toaster and added them to the plates of scrambled eggs she'd just prepared. "You'd already searched the place, right? So why would anyone attack Steve?"

"Only he knows that." Curt shook his head. "And maybe even he doesn't know."

* * *

Anita still hadn't said anything about Steve to Hadley as they ate breakfast. The doctor's imagination was going in all sorts of directions. Her curiosity unchecked. "If you're not going to tell me, I'll have to go out to House and Cameron's myself and talk to Steve."

"You'll do no such thing." Anita bit back the expletives that filled her mouth and swallowed them. In a calmer voice she said, "Remy, as soon as I can tell you wants happening, I will."

"Meanwhile, you left him with that swine Curt."

"House and Cameron will play watchdog." Anita smiled. "Besides, he might let something slip to them when I'm not around that'll help me find out who clobbered Steve."

Hadley sighed. "You said Steve woke before you left yesterday. Didn't he say anything useful?"

"Very little. And I'm not going to be coerced into tell you what." She put her hands on Hadley's shoulders. "Trust me on this, okay?" She gulped down the last of her coffee. "Gotta run. I'll text you when I know when I'll be home. You know where I'll be."

Hadley watched her go and listened as her ankle boots thumped down the stairs. Should she give up on learning what Anita knew, what happened to Steve? She should probably get back to diagnosing her patient. She'd ignore House's challenge and analyze what she knew one more time.

With that in mind, she left for the hospital, running through all she remembered of the patient's symptoms.

* * *

At nine-thirty, the team headed for the cafeteria. Over coffee with Chatterji, they compared the latest vitals for their two patients. Both were stable, with numbers about the same as on Friday. The antibiotic the team gave their patient had improved the white blood cell count, but otherwise, there'd been no change.

"I don't think an infection is the main problem," Jacobs said. She ran a finger around the rim of her coffee cup. "I keep coming back to the breathing problems."

"But my patient is breathing just fine." Chatterji stirred sweetener into her tea. "Even though he's still suffering from a dry mouth and extreme thirst."

"Our patient isn't," Magnani said.

Jacobs shook her head. "That's because he's taking different medications."

"True."

"Could they each be showing different symptoms of the same thing?" Chatterji frowned. "That's all I can think."

Simpson nodded. "And going with that, maybe their different ages could affect their reaction to whatever it is."

"All right, why don't we go with that theory for a while and see where it takes us?" Jacobs was the first to stand.

Magnani rose too. "It would mean going back to treating them as patients with different diseases."

"So? You have a better idea?"

* * *

Wilson sat in front of his computer, going through the list of illnesses that started with A. At least he didn't have to go through the entire alphabet, but it was still amazing that there were so many diseases and syndromes that began with that one little letter. And none of them clicked.

One by one, he eliminated them all. House did say "A," didn't he? He felt like a first-year med student, learning about so many diseases he forgotten, especially once he became an oncologist. He had to find another approach.

He focused on Dr. Carter's symptoms. Patients had breathing problems for various reasons. House couldn't mean allergies, could he? No. They already knew a couple of the patients had those. Maybe if he eliminated the symptoms caused by allergic reactions, he'd know which were related to the mystery disease.

* * *

Dr. Carter appeared at the animal clinic. "I'll just stay a couple of hours," he told Jessica. "Dr. House assured me I wasn't contagious."

Jess was glad to see him. He wasn't wheezing as much as he had the week before.

There were a few patients waiting, two dogs, three cats and a hamster.

"Mrs. Gomez, I'll take you and Missy while Dr. Simpson helps Charlotte with Pippa." Carter led a short woman and her large dog into one of the exam rooms.

The morning passed quickly. At ten thirty, Carter poked his head into the room where Jessica was examining a chihuahua. "I'm off to see Dr. House."

"Let me know what he tells you to do."

Carter knew about House's challenge. "We'll see."

* * *

Anita knocked on House and Cameron's door. "How's our patient?"

"Holding his own." Cameron was in the midst of getting ready to head to the clinic. "Call me if there's a need, but he should just rest for now. He'll heal."

"Where's House?" Anita asked.

"Already left. It's the big first day of his practice," Cameron smiled. "Not that he's expecting many patients. Dr. Carter has an appointment at eleven."

"I hope your other guest behaved himself." Anita looked past Cameron at Curt walking toward them.

Cameron just laughed, took her bag and was out the door with a backward wave.

Curt waited for Anita to walk towards him, and the two of them continued to the kitchen.

"Talk to Steve this morning?" Anita asked.

Curt crossed his arms, as she knew he always did when he was about to tell a half truth. "I brought him his breakfast. He sat up and managed a half piece of toast and cup of tea. Dr. Cameron said to let him rest."

"She did, did she? Let me guess. He doesn't remember anyone attacking him, or even going into the apartment. You tried your lame interrogation techniques and none of them worked. And you don't want me to try mine, since I usually get better results. How'm I doing so far?"

Curt grimaced. "He's sleeping."

"Good. Maybe when he wakes, he'll have remembered something else." Anita took the last of the coffee from the machine and made herself comfortable at the kitchen table. "Meanwhile, you can tell me what you learned in Princeton." She smiled sweetly and said as if she were talking to a dog, "Sit."

Curt immediately obeyed, and her smile became a grin.

* * *

Naomi was already at her desk when House walked into his new offices. She was chatting with the lab guy, Jerry Mortimer, but they both turned to him.

"I see the waiting room is overflowing," House quipped.

"Give people time to find you." Naomi smiled. "I mentioned at my church yesterday you'd be starting your practice today. Folks'll show up."

"You have the file ready for Dr. Carter?" House pointed to the one on her desk.

"Sure do. Eleven o'clock. Nothing in here yet 'bout what he has," Naomi said.

"That's privileged information."

"You think I'd blab to anyone?" She grinned and her eyes sparkled.

"Certain people would try to pry it out of you."

She laughed. "You mean your little game with your colleagues. Told you. I won't tell." She tapped the file. "Is Dr. Cameron in on it?"

House nodded.

"What about Anita?" Mortimer said.

"I forgot you know her. She isn't to find out, not until Saturday at the Open House." It suddenly occurred to him that he was supposed to get the corrected invitations. "I'll be back." He didn't even try for an Austrian accent.

The print shop wasn't far, so he walked. Finally, the invites were ready and correct. House smiled as he walked back to his new office carrying the box. Cameron could handle the distribution later. Plenty of time before the party.

When he arrived, Naomi was chatting with Edna. She sure was a chatty one, he thought. They smiled at him. Cameron's and his former landlady was dressed in slacks and a long-sleeved blouse. She said, "I know you've been busy with your move to the new house, finishing this office, and who knows what else, but I wondered what you wanted me to do here."

He recalled that they'd asked her to manage the building, but when their friends took both apartments, the need dissolved. Naomi was perfectly capable of managing the office and Mortimer the lab. What did that leave?

She waited patiently for him to reply, but it was Naomi who suggested, "You can use someone to handle any complaints from the tenants."

"I doubt any of them would complain. They'd just fix whatever's broken," Edna said.

"Aside from keeping records on the rents they pay and the costs of any workman and utilities, what did you think you'd be doing?" House asked.

Edna laughed. "Playing with the cat I guess."

"Yeah, where is she?" Naomi asked. "Haven't seen her all morning."

"I saw her out in the backyard when I came in." Edna pointed toward the hall and side door.

"I don't need a cat-sitter," House said. "But there are records someone has to keep for the building, while Naomi takes care of the office."

"I'll need a desk and computer," Edna said. "And a printer." She narrowed her eyes. "I suppose I can share supplies with Naomi."

* * *

Cameron arrived at the clinic in time to see a woman exit the nail salon next door. "Can I help you?" Cameron immediately rushed to the woman. "What's wrong?"

The woman studied her through her tears and seemed to recognize her. "I had a manicure and pedicure last week, and now I have that toenail fungus that's so hard to get rid of." She sniffed back the last of her tears. "You're that doctor running for a seat on the town council, aren't you?"

"Dr. Allison Cameron." She held out her hand.

The woman shook it. "Yes, I remember you from that illness everyone had last June. My Mandy had it."

"Yes, I remember you now. You're Amanda Carson's mom. How's she doing?"

"Pretty well now that her asthma is under control." Mrs. Carson looked at the clinic door. "That's where you work, isn't it?"

"Yes. Would you like me to take a look at your toenails?"

"Please. I'm thinking of suing them." She pointed to the nail salon.

"It might be better to report them to the health department for the county," Cameron said.

Mrs. Carson nodded. "That's a good idea."

They entered the clinic together. Two other patients waited already.

"Carol, please have Mrs. Carson fill out preliminary medical information while I tend to Laura and Mr. Klein." Cameron first led the young woman into her exam room. "What brings you here today?"

"I think my wrist is broken. I… I tumbled down the stairs from our porch and fell on it."

Cameron examined her thin wrist. "I'm sending you to a new medical facility in town to have this x-rayed." She noticed other bruises on Laura's arm. It wasn't the first time. But House would know how to deal with her. She wrote the order and gave her the address of the new office then called House immediately to let him know Laura was coming.

She was anxious to see how Mr. Klein was doing.


	57. Chapter 57

Had a great weekend in Truth or Consequences, but glad to be back.

 **Chapter 57.**

Mr. Klein looked and sounded better than he had before Cameron first examined him. His blood pressure was lower and he wasn't wheezing.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better." The older man smiled at her. "The antibiotic and inhaler seemed to help but it was that nasal spray that did the ticket."

"I've found a ENT specialist to clear out your sinuses, but he's in Snow Hill."

"Not a problem. My daughter'll take me." The older man smiled. "It'll be great to feel even better."

Cameron remembered she'd brought him the last appointment. "I'll send a note to him to make sure he checks your lungs and bronchi. His name's McCaffrey."

After Mr. Klein left, Cameron called the patient with the nail fungus, but noticed Anna waiting to talk to her. "I'll be right with you," she told her friend. She led the patient into the exam room. "Have you ever had a condition like this before?"

"No. I'm sure it was something they used for my pedicure that caused it." The woman was adamant. "Or maybe they cut the skin."

"It's possible you had a cut but that wouldn't lead to this." Cameron examined her toes with gloved hands. Every nail was involved. "When did you have the pedicure? Because this looks like it's been active for quite some time."

"That's impossible. I would have noticed."

"Not always. When was the pedicure?"

"Last Thursday," the woman said. "It's gotten steadily worse over the weekend."

"And who cut your toenails before that?"

"What? Oh, I did." She smiled proudly.

"You never noticed this before?"

"No."

"The person doing the pedicure didn't mention it?" Cameron's eyebrow went up.

"No. Why would they bring attention to something they did?"

Cameron forced herself to keep a straight face. "I can give you something that'll clear it up temporarily, but it'll come back."

"You mean they've ruined my toenails forever?"

"I'm still not sure it was the nail salon." Cameron had dealt with people like this before, people who'd blame anyone but themselves. "They're strictly regulated by the health department." She made a mental note to check on who did the pedicure and what they noticed.

"Well, I'm still going to sue." The woman pulled on her pantyhose.

"Have you ever sued anyone before?"

She hesitated. "Yes. I sued the plumber who fixed my sink."

"And?" Cameron expected she'd tell what happened.

"Well, and the mechanic who changed the oil on my car."

It was still a litigious society, but Cameron could tell this was a woman who'd sue her if she didn't back up her complaint against the nail salon. Rather than say anything else, she gave her a prescription.

* * *

House led Laura into the exam room. "Wrist, huh?" he said.

"Yeah, I fell, down our front stairs. Landed on it." Laura pressed her lips together, wouldn't meet his gaze.

It was the same story she gave Cameron, but House could see the bruises on her arm that Cameron also mentioned. "We have an x-ray machine in the lab. We'll see if it's a fracture or just a sprain."

Laura nodded. Her frown never left her face.

House walked her out to Naomi. "Laura needs an x-ray of her wrist. I'll take her to Mortimer for that."

"I'll need her to fill out a form." Naomi waved a sheet of paper.

"Then it's good it isn't her writing arm."

Laura took the sheet and started writing, then House took her to the lab.

Dr. Carter arrived promptly at eleven.

"He'll be right with you," Naomi said. "Please have a seat."

Carter smiled and admired the upholstered wooden chair.

House returned from taking Laura to the lab. "Dr. Carter, c'mon in. You're not coughing."

"I'm not as nauseous, either."

"And the vision?"

"Only blurry when I first wake-up in the morning."

House took the veterinarian's blood pressure. "Still slightly high. Are you still out of breath after climbing stairs?"

"Not so much since I started using the inhaler you gave me."

"I don't have to tell you how important it is to continue to use it. It's not like the emergency ones that patients use, well, in emergencies."

Carter grinned. "I understand. Corticosteroid?"

House nodded. "What did you tell Jessica?"

"Jessica knows nothing. I told her I saw you and you treated me. No details about the treatment."

* * *

Between patients, Cameron called House to update him about Mr. Klein, and he told her about Dr. Carter's improvement.

"Carter and Klein's improvements confirm your theory," she said.

"What, you thought they wouldn't?"

She laughed then sobered. "What about Laura?"

"She didn't fracture her wrist in a fall." He paused. "Oh, I suppose she could have, but the bruises near the break indicate someone else broke it. I taped it and sent her to Snow Hill to get a cast put on."

"That's what I was afraid of." Cameron winced.

"On a lighter note, I got the invitations."

"And?"

"They're fine. We can start to distribute them tonight."

"Good." She sighed deeply. "Any word on the car?"

"No. I should call them."

"Yes, you should."

She chuckled. "Your new practice is off to a roaring start."

"I wouldn't exactly call it roaring. Maybe decent."

* * *

Chatterji returned to her patient. He was lying down, drowsy. He wheezed a little with each release of breath. "Guess I was wrong about breathing issues." She made a note on his chart and ordered both a breathing test and a bronchodilator for him.

He sat as much as he could without a backrest, and coughed.

"How long have you been coughing like that?" she asked.

He shrugged, but didn't speak.

She immediately handed him a glass of water, and he downed it in just a few gulps.

"Still thirsty?"

He nodded.

* * *

Hadley met the team in their conference room, tentatively crossing out symptoms that might be irrelevant.

She shook her head. "You can't ignore those. They may be just the key you need to solve this."

Jacobs threw up her arms. "We're stumped. Even if we ignore the symptoms the other patients showed, there's no telling what's important here and what isn't. Only that the symptoms don't go together."

"House saw something in your earlier test results that showed him what was wrong, or at least what the patient had that the others also did." Hadley restored what had been on the board originally. "Not what the symptoms are now, but what the patient presented with when he first arrived."

"You want to rule out whatever his stay here might have induced," Simpson guessed.

"And also whatever your treatment caused, good or bad." She smiled. "Then we compare the condition before and after and see what's changed."

Simpson nodded. "Sounds like a good approach."

"So, let's get to work."

They all looked back at their earliest notes and found observations in them they'd forgotten in their haste to work out House's puzzle.

* * *

The call from Anderson wasn't unexpected, but Anita groaned when she saw his name on her phone. "I'll have to take this in the dining room," she told Curtis.

He smiled. "Take your time. Meet me in Steve's room unless you have to leave."

She shook her head. "Uh-uh. I'm not leaving you alone with him." She walked a few feet through to the dining room and called the chief back. "I'm at House and Cameron's with the missing agent, trying to make sense of what he remembers happening to him." Then she had to tell him a little more before he told her why he'd called.

He had news too. "They found the box they'd kept the ballots in at the trash collection facility on Oak Street. Empty of course. We're dusting it for prints."

"Good. Who would have known about that place?"

"Just about everyone in Shelby, but the ones most aware of it besides the garbage pick-up crews were the town council members, since there've been new laws they've discussed that would make it a crime for citizens to dump their waste there."

"Does that include candidates for the council?" Anita pulled out a pad and pen and started making notes.

"Yeah, possibly." He groaned. "They've all received transcripts of the latest meetings of the council."

"Will you need me for anything for a while?" she asked. "I don't want to leave Steve in the condition he's in." And she didn't want to leave him with Curt.

"Give me a call in a couple of hours. There may be a few things you can do from there."

That suited Anita's plans for the afternoon. She found Curt where she left him in the kitchen. "Let's go check on our patient."

"You don't have to leave?" He frowned.

"You were hoping I'd be called away, but not going to happen." She strode toward the room Steve was in, hearing Curt's footsteps behind her.

The agent sat up in bed, staring at his surroundings.

"You're in House and Cameron's spare bedroom," Anita said.

"Oh, right. You told me that before." He frowned. "Or someone did." He rubbed his forehead.

"Headache?"

Steve started to nod, then thought better of it. "Yeah. I need an aspirin or ibuprofen."

"I'll get it." Curt rushed off and was back in ten seconds with a bottle of Tylenol and a paper cup of water.

"How do you feel otherwise?" Anita pulled a chair up to the bed.

"I'll live, I guess. Just wish I could remember what happened."

"You said the last thing you remembered was sitting in your car, watching the building," Anita prompted.

Curt leaned against the door frame. "Picture it. Maybe something will come back to you."

Anita leaned closer. "Did someone enter the building, someone suspicious?"

His eyes narrowed. "It hurts to think."

* * *

Dr. Carter returned to the vet clinic and a waiting room full of dogs and cats.

"I don't know how you handled the load alone all these years," Jessica said. "Seems every dog in Shelby has a lame foot today, and every cat has picked up ticks."

He laughed. "Sometimes it's the other way around."

She pointed to a jar filled with the ticks she'd removed from animals. "Isn't it too late in the season for those things?"

Dr. Carter shrugged and took the next owner and her dog into an exam room.

Jessica first called Wilson and left a message reporting that Carter seemed to be responding to whatever treatment House prescribed. Then she too called a dog and his owner, happy that Carter was back to his usual self.

Before she knew it, it was lunchtime. They finished with the last of the morning patients, and Jess drove to the diner. The only one there was Cameron.

"Dr. Carter is much better," Jessica said.

"Good. Have you ever used the nail salon next to the clinic?" Cameron looked at Jess' immaculately polished fingernails.

"No, why?"

"I had a patient this morning who'd had a pedicure there. She had a nasty case of onychomycosis."

Jessica frowned. "I understand that's almost impossible to cure permanently."

"It is," Cameron said. "Anyway, how were your patients today?"

She shrugged. "The usual."

Linda came for their orders, and Cameron admired the waitress' nails too. "Where do you get those done?"

Beaming at the compliment, Linda said, "Right next door, at the nail salon."

"Tell me about it." Cameron wanted to know what to expect.

"Very clean. Never had a problem there. The women are very gentle, handle my fingers and toes with care. You should try it sometime."

Cameron kept her nails very short and rarely used polish. Her toenails, on the other hand, could stand some pampering. "I will. Thanks, Linda."

Linda nodded and headed to the kitchen to put in their orders.

* * *

"Did you want me to get you lunch, Dr. House?" Naomi asked.

"Nah. I'll head over to the diner in a few minutes. Don't see a flood of patients in the waiting room."

"That's true, but they'll come."

Before he left, he wanted to see Laura's x-rays. Mortimer had just finished processing them and clipped them to the light box for examination. He turned when House entered. "Look at this." He pointed to one of the films. "Evidence of healing from a previous break."

"I was afraid we'd find something like that. Wish we had an excuse to examine the rest of her body. I'm sure we'd find more signs she'd been beaten frequently."

"Or at least once in the past. Poor kid." Mortimer sighed.

"Write-up your observations. She'll be back tomorrow to find out whether it's broken. I told her to wrap it in the meantime."

"Wouldn't she let you do it?"

House shook his head. "And I doubt she will."

"Poor kid," Mortimer repeated.

"I'm off to the diner. Come along." He smiled at Mortimer. "You can buy me lunch."


	58. Chapter 58

The folks are busy with more than what moves the plot forward this week

 **Chapter 58.**

House handed Cameron the box of invitations to their open house.

She grinned at what she saw. "These are perfect. Thanks for getting the printer to redo them."

"How do you want to distribute them?" He stared at his fork, hoping she didn't want him gallivanting around the town dropping them off.

"We'll give them to everyone who's here. You can take a few back to Hanbury Street for Naomi and your tenants, and I'll take a few to the office. Guess we can distribute the rest this evening after we eat."

"Can I see?" Jessica asked. "Ooh! Very elegant. Nice font too."

Mortimer sat quietly, but Cameron handed him one. "Hope you can come," she said.

She also gave one to Linda when she brought their food.

"This Saturday?" the waitress asked. "I have to work but maybe I can get away."

"Take one for Mo and Zach and tell 'em to bring Chrissy if she's not busy."

* * *

Anita called in a lunch order to a burger place near the high school. They agreed to deliver to the house out on Harbor Rd. Steve still hadn't said anything helpful, but she wouldn't leave Curt alone with him when he might suddenly remember something. The day was dragging.

She looked at the two men. How could she get either of them to tell her what she wanted to know? She turned to Curt. "So, you hit a dead end in Princeton."

"You could say that. Unless the kid knows something she hasn't told us." He blew out air.

Anita considered what he said. Should she return to question Lori herself? She sighed. "Steve, didn't anyone try to enter Loralei's apartment?"

"Not that I remember. I watched it for two days, slept in my car. Didn't even return to the motel room here." He looked at Curt. "Really, boss. I didn't see anything."

"Curt, when you found him, did you look around the apartment? Did it look like anything had been disturbed?"

Curt shook his head. "I didn't stop to look, knew I had to get Steve to medical help ASAP."

A knock at the door signaled their lunch had arrived. The questioning could continue later.

* * *

Lunchtime, Chatterji sat with the team in the hospital cafeteria, eating yogurt. "My patient was having breathing problems today."

"But he hadn't shown any signs of that before, right?" Hadley asked.

"No, he hadn't. But that coincides with the symptoms your patient, Cameron's and Dr. Carter showed. It was the only thing that was significantly different from the others."

"House couldn't have known he would have difficulty breathing," Magnani said.

"Couldn't he?" Chatterji had a strong feeling it was significant. "I mean, he could have guessed his other symptoms would lead to that." She already attributed superhuman abilities to House.

"We've been looking at the symptoms the patient presented when we took the case," Jacobs said. "Maybe we should look at the progression instead."

"Or in addition. Our patients blood pressure is better. Was that because of the treatment or would that have happened naturally?" Magnani asked.

"The meds we gave him are known to lower blood pressure." Simpson shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about that one."

"What else changed?" Chatterji asked.

"He's thirsty all the time like your patient," Jacobs said.

Chatterji's eyebrows shot up. "So the symptoms are coming together."

Four pairs of eyes went wide.

* * *

Cameron handed an invitation to Carol as soon as she arrived back at the clinic. "Seth worked so hard on the house, and I'm anxious for you to see it."

"Oh, we'll be there." Carol smiled. "I've already arranged for a sitter."

"You know you can bring Bryan."

"Maybe another time when there aren't so many people."

Cameron grinned. "Then I'll be able to spend time with him."

Carol nodded. "He's growing so fast. I have to bring him in next week for his next round of shots."

"So, I'll see him then."

The door opened, and a patient walked in signaling it was time to get back to work.

The afternoon went quickly with lots of patients. Probably if there'd been an urgent care center in Shelby, many of them would go there, but Cameron was used to the steady flow of broken bones, cuts that wouldn't stop dripping blood, painful burns and the like. Occasionally, something more serious came to her attention. Like Catherine Shea, whose diabetes was under control, but suddenly stopped responding to her medication and insulin.

She arrived at two in the afternoon with her son, who'd driven her from one of the swankier parts of Shelby.

"I'll have to do blood tests to see how your markers have changed." Cameron also wanted to find out if anything else was different from the last time Mrs. Shea had visited the clinic. The changes in her condition weren't natural with the regimen she followed so diligently.

Cameron would have to follow-up on her.

* * *

House leaned back in his new office chair. Even more comfortable than the ones he had at Snow Hill and PPTH. But he couldn't relax for long. Naomi announced they had a patient, one of her friends from church.

He entered the waiting room to find a pretty young woman with caramel-colored skin.

"Dr. House, this is May Clayton. May, he's the doctor I told you about.

House was finding it odd to treat patients when he didn't have a complete file on their health. Naomi collected basic information on the forms he'd designed, but he realized there were questions he'd have to add in the future.

"You're here about a rash?" he asked.

"Yes. It appeared ten days ago and no matter what I've put on it, it won't go away." She had a lilting accent, perhaps from a Caribbean island, although there was no indication on her bare bones chart. She rolled up the sleeve of her long-sleeved sweater to expose a red area on her light brown forearm.

"Had you eaten anything new before the rash appeared."

She shook her neatly coiffed head.

"Use any new soap or cosmetics?"

Again she indicated she hadn't.

He looked more closely as he asked, "Why didn't you go to the clinic?"

"At first, I didn't think I needed a doctor, but now I do. I like the idea of continuity of care, of creating a relationship with a doctor."

"I'm flattered, but in Shelby, the clinic doctor will keep records of all your ailments and conditions. There's only one doctor, and she'll see you through almost anything." He'd hoped that setting up this practice would take some of the load off Cameron, and here he was, sending his third patient to her. He smiled. "However, since you're here, I'll prescribe a cream. Put it on the rash twice a day. If it doesn't clear up in three days, come back." He took out a new prescription pad, wrote down the cream and gave it to the woman.

"Thank you, Dr. House." She smiled back.

"Tell Naomi thanks for suggesting you come here."

"I will." And she left.

House went back to napping.

Next time Naomi beeped him, it was to tell him Pete was there. House grinned, but then schooled his face. No sense telling the old guy he missed seeing him.

In the waiting room, Pete stood looking around. "Spiffy place ya got here, Doc."

"Thanks. You okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Not here for anythin' but to see the place."

House pointed to the chairs then sat. "Where you been? Haven't seen you at the diner lately."

"Been hibernatin', like." Pete sat too.

"Didja get an invitation to our open house?"

The old man shook his head. "Uh-uh. Where'd ya send it?"

House shook his head. "We're handing them out." He pulled one from his pocket and gave it to Pete.

"This comin' Saturday? I'll be there with bells on." Pete grinned. "Tell me, Linda and them comin' to the party?"

"They're invited. Thought there was something brewing between the two of you."

"I thought so too." Pete studied his hands for twenty seconds then looked up again. "So, how's business."

"As you can see, my waiting room is empty."

"Either you're fast or you haven't had many patients."

"Three so far. How're you doin'?" House pointed to Pete's chest. "Everything good?"

"Honky-doory." He stood. "Well, I'll let you get back to business, or something." He looked around the room pointedly.

"Yeah."

"Just thought I'd stop by. See you Saturday." He turned to Naomi. "You too, Naomi."

* * *

"Dr. Carter, can you please come in here." Jessica was examining a Pomeranian while his owner watched anxiously.

Her boss came in. "How can I help?"

"What does this look like to you?" She pointed to an area of the dog's side.

"An infected cut. You'll have to remove the surrounding fur and treat it with a topical antibiotic, but also give Raymond a shot and pills for Mrs. Nelson to give him daily."

"Yes, that's what I thought." She turned to the owner. "Mrs. Nelson, do you have any idea how Raymond was injured?"

The woman seemed taken aback. "No. I only knew he wasn't as playful, as affectionate."

"Do you let him out in your yard? Is there anything out there that he could have hurt himself on?"

"Well." She thought for a short time. "I let him out to do his business sometimes when I'm not up to walking him, you know."

Jessica nodded. "And?"

"All that's out there are the shrubs my son planted for me when it got to be too much to keep up a vegetable garden." She clasped her hands together in front of her.

"Does Raymond have a favorite spot?" Dr. Carter asked. "A spot his marked."

"I suppose. I don't watch him. It's not polite."

"However it happened, we'll need to clean out the infection and put in a couple of sutures so the cut heals." Jessica started assembling what she needed. She injected the dog's leg with a local anesthetic.

"Will it hurt him?"

"It'll hurt him more if this infection spreads. Why don't you return to the waiting room and we'll let you know when Raymond's done."

Mrs. Nelson pressed her lips together and looked at them both, but seem to be reassured by their smiles. She left them to work on Raymond's wound.

"She knows exactly what happened to Raymond." Jessica cleaned the area around the cut, then removed the infected flesh as gently and carefully as she could.

Raymond wiggled a bit and whimpered.

"It's okay Raymond. You'll be better in no time."

Carter held the limb while Jessica deftly stitched it up.

"That's the fourth time this year that Raymond came in with some sort of injury," Carter said. "But I doubt the ASPCA will do anything about it."

* * *

Towards the end of the day, Cameron's phone rang. She smiled when she saw Pamela's name and number. "Hi."

"I thought you'd want to know we've now received all the absentee ballots we expected, so the election is a go for next Tuesday."

"I'll be glad to have it over. Where are you? Can you come by the clinic? I have an invitation for your for our party Saturday." She'd put one aside, thinking she'd drive it over after dinner, but if Pamela could come for it, it would give Cameron a chance to talk to her without House butting in.

"Oh, I'd be happy to pick it up, and thrilled to see your new place."

"It's currently being used to question an agent who was missing for a while. Or rather no one knew where he was. But they'll be gone by the weekend." At least, Cameron hoped so.

"Leave it to you and House to become involved in something like that."

* * *

House finally decided to call about the car. After being switched from one part of the repair shop to another and then from one person to another, he finally reached someone who knew the status.

"Just got the part we need today. Should have the car ready by… what's today, Monday?… By Thursday," the mechanic said.

House wouldn't count on that. "Let me know when it's done. You have my number, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Which number do you have?"

The man rattled off a number that wasn't even close.

House rolled his eyes. "Take this one." He gave his cell phone number, but noted that he'd have to call back if he ever wanted to see his car again.


	59. Chapter 59

I hope to wrap up a few of the storylines this week and next, since I'll be off on a vacation for two weeks after that.

 **Chapter 59.**

"Do you feel better when you use the inhaler we gave you or not?" Simpson asked the team's patient.

"With. Definitely with." He took a deep breath and let it out. "I can breath more easily."

"Good." He checked the man's blood pressure. That had been an on-going issue. But it was better.

"You'll be up and out of here in no time," Jacobs said. They were getting results even though they still weren't sure what the base problem was.

"My son's birthday is this Saturday," their patient said. "I hope I can go to dinner with my family by then."

"We can't promise anything but it looks like it."

They left him and returned to their conference room. "There's nothing critically wrong with him anymore," Jacobs said. "Why don't we just discharge him. Then when we find out what House was thinking, we can add to his treatment?"

"Boss, any objections?" Simpson asked Hadley as she entered.

"Objections to what? World peace? I'm all for it." She smiled.

* * *

Without a patient in sight, House left Hanbury Street for the diner. In the late afternoon, he was one of ten people there.

"Want some pie?" Linda asked.

"You know me too well."

"Be right up." She brought it to him immediately along with a cup of coffee.

He looked around the diner. "I see you're being overworked."

"Kinda makes up for the breakfast, lunch and dinner crowds. Not that I didn't enjoy seein' you all."

"Guess you miss having Chrissy here to help out."

"Yeah, since she started basketball practice after school almost every day." Linda left to take care of one of the few other customers.

House enjoyed his apple pie in peace as he thought about what other schemes he could initiate. He was interrupted when Jessica arrived. "Where's Cameron?" she asked.

"Probably busy with patients," he grumbled.

"Didn't you have many today?"

"Three in the morning, then none all afternoon."

She smirked. "Things'll pick up. Give it time. Dr. Carter seems much better. He'll spread the word."

"Guess so." He perked up when Cameron entered.

"I would have been here sooner but Pamela stopped by to get her invitation and then went on and on about the election."

"Did they get all of the replacement absentee votes?" Jess asked.

"No way to tell for sure, but they think so. The election will take place next Tuesday."

* * *

Wilson was already packing up to leave the hospital when Meisner came by.

"How's your wife?" Wilson put down his bag and coat.

"She's fine." Meisner sat in the visitor's chair in Wilson's office, making himself comfortable. "I'm not here about Nora. Had a call from Duke University Hospital asking us to allow a Dr. Shieffield to visit next week. He'll observe a few of our doctors in various departments. Personally, I think he's on a scouting expedition. Looking for talent."

"Which doctors is he planning on observing?"

"That's just it. He didn't say. But I need someone to shepherd him around, make sure he doesn't raid the best of our young doctors."

Wilson grimaced. It wasn't something he wanted to do. On the other hand, if he played it right, they might offload a few doctors he thought were just taking up space. "When does he arrive?"

"Sunday night. He'll stay at a hotel here in Snow Hill. The Summit? Do you know where that is? Not far from here." Meisner stood. "I don't need to tell you how sensitive this situation is, but the board was all in favor and I couldn't turn them down."

"I understand." But Wilson still hoped this wouldn't interfere with his own plans for the weekend and the following week. "Who'll pick Shepherd up from the airport? Which airport will he fly into?"

"Yes, well, if you could pick him up at the Salisbury airport and drive him to his hotel?" Meisner raised both eyebrows. "He gets in at eight o'clock. Don't know whether he'll have eaten by then. Nora and I will have him over for dinner on Monday. After that, I'll see who might want to take him to dinner."

That didn't sound too bad. "Okay. I pick him up at the airport, drive him to The Summit in Snow Hill, and possibly feed him along the way, then beginning Monday morning take him to meet some of our doctors and act as escort whenever necessary. Lucky for you, I don't currently have any patients that need a lot of attention."

"You don't know how much I appreciate this," Meisner said.

"Do you have a picture?"

"No, I'm afraid his department didn't provide one. He hasn't published much and has only been at Duke a couple of years." Meisner left a thin file with Wilson and walked away.

Wilson leaned back in his chair wondering how this would play out. He added the file to his bag and left for Shelby.

* * *

The team arrived at the diner without Simpson.

Before anyone asked, Jacobs said, "He and Anaya are having dinner in Snow Hill tonight."

"Her patient developed breathing problems," Magnani said, a total non sequitur.

House smiled and glanced at Cameron.

"Dr. Carter's have improved." Jessica took a forkful of ravioli and held it near her mouth. "Have you seen Jim?" She practically inhaled the marinara coated pasta pillow.

Hadley and Jacobs shook their heads. "Not since lunch," Magnani said.

"I'll need him to drive me to get my car." House looked toward the door as if willing him to appear. And there he was.

Wilson's smile was slight. His brow was furrowed and his shoulders hunched.

"What's wrong?" Jessica asked as she shifted even closer to the window.

"Nothing really." It looked like he was forcing his shoulders straight like a kid being introduced to someone they were told was important. "Meisner wants me to shepherd a visitor next week. A doctor named Sheffield from Duke. Anyone know him?"

Like the others, Hadley shook her head. "I'm not familiar with the name, but someone at Duke is probably well-vetted."

"Yeah, well. I think he's coming to raid our staff." He zeroed in on the two younger doctors. "Either of you interested?"

"I'm happy here." Jacobs smiled at Magnani and then the others, but he didn't say anything.

"Rocco?" Cameron looked at him expectantly.

He rushed to say, "What Heather said goes for me too."

"Then I'll keep him away from you." Wilson finally smiled. "There are a few of the newer doctors Meisner wouldn't mind letting go, though."

"Will this Sheffield be here in time for our party?"

"Thankfully, no. He arrives Sunday night. I'll have to collect him from the airport and bring him to The Summit hotel in Snow Hill." He turned to House. "You were saying something about needing me?"

"The car should be done in a day or two, so I'll need a ride to get it."

"I can take you," Cameron said.

House pressed his lips together, making it clear that he wanted to go with Wilson.

Cameron didn't press the point. Instead, she turned to Hadley. "Any word from Anita?"

"No. Just a brief text earlier that she wouldn't make it to dinner. Guess she's still babysitting Steve."

"And Curt," Cameron added.

"Did you look in on him this morning? How is he, Steve, I mean?"

"No one cares how Curt is," House stated.

"Steve's recovering, but he still doesn't remember what happened to him."

* * *

Simpson and Chatterji had dinner at a quiet Italian restaurant in Snow Hill. Simpson pointed to his plate. "This lasagna doesn't hold a candle to Rocco's."

Chatterji paused her fork halfway to her mouth. "I've heard tales of Rocco's lasagna."

"You'll have to come over next time he cooks, whatever he makes."

"I'd like that."

Simpson to a breath then plunged in. "We really don't know that much about each other. I… I hope that changes this evening."

"What do you want to know?" She shrugged.

"You know, the basics, where were you born and where did you go to school? Brothers and sisters? The works."

"I was born in Chicago. My parents came to the States to go to school and decided to stay. It was a long process for them to get green cards and later citizenship. They settled in Illinois because they both found jobs there." She paused to sip her water. "I have an older sister and a younger bother, both in California. Um, I went to Northwestern and then Harvard Medical School. I interned at Mass General and did several residences there before joining the staff of Snow Hill." She laughed. "It sounds more impressive than it should."

"I know you worked hard like I did." He took her hand. "You're smart and dedicated. That's what impressed me." His voice was softer than usual. "Anaya, do you think, that is, would you, I mean…" He stopped.

She squeezed the hand holding his. "Absolutely."

* * *

As they left the diner, House said, "Not ready to go home to a house full of agents."

"We still have a few invitations to deliver."

"I gave Pete one." He opened the car doors.

"And I gave one to Pamela. So that leaves Anna and Edna."

"Oh, I gave Edna one too. And before you ask, Naomi has one. I told her to bring her kids."

Cameron smiled. "Great. How 'bout Will, Sharon and Rachel?"

"Of course. Wouldn't want to leave them out." He groaned. "Talk about a houseful."

"We'll give Anita one when we get home, although Remy has one already." She got into the car. "We shouldn't take too long to relieve Anita."

"She really doesn't trust Curt, does she?"

"Can you blame her?"

"We haven't heard the whole story." He drove to Anna's house.

She grinned when she saw them. "Haven't seen you two in a while." She motioned for them to enter and follow her to the kitchen.

"We wanted to deliver this invitation in person." Cameron handed her one.

"I've had the date circled for weeks. Can't wait to see what you've had Will do to the place." Anna pointed to the chairs. "Sit and I'll make some tea." Then she looked at House. "Or would you prefer something stronger?"

House thought about it for a few seconds. "Tea will be fine if there's something good to go with it."

"You just ate," Cameron said.

He just smirked at her.

Anna set the kettle to boil and brought out a plate full of homemade chocolate chip cookies. "Will these do?"

Before he answered, House gobbled one. Through a full mouth of crumbs he said, "Yup."

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Since I didn't have dessert with my dinner…." She took a cookie too.

"You heard they've gotten the absentee ballots?" Anna brought over two mugs of tea then returned to the counter for her own.

"Yes. I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about the election."

Anna flapped a hand. "Nothing for you to worry about. The consensus from everyone I know is that you'll win handily. Will Davis too."

"I almost hope I don't win. It's a lot of responsibility. You know, since you've been on the board a while."

"Yes, but it's also a chance for you to have your voice heard about issues important to Shelby. The lights along Harbor Road are only the tip of the iceberg of ways life here can improve."

"But most of the people live here in town, not out there. They probably can't see how important lighting all the way to the harbor is."

"As more and more people shop out that way or go to the restaurant, they know, especially in winter when it gets dark so early. The more the pier is built up and used, it'll be increasingly important."

"There are only a few shops out there now," House said. "Don't tell me we'll soon see flocks of people out on Harbor Road at all hours of the day and night."

"Don't worry." Anna smiled warmly. "Your house is far enough from the road that you shouldn't be disturbed by cars going by."

"But one of the allures about the place was that few people drove out that way. In fact, I've wondered how that harbor restaurant stays in business."

Anna laughed."They do the best steaks in Shelby, that's how."

He laughed too. "That's probably true. We'll dine there often now that we live out that way."

"So you're saying there'll be people besides the boaters and fishermen?" Cameron asked.

"Yes. That's actually a major reason I support the issue. You're not going to withdraw your support now, are you? Especially since you spoke so eloquently at the debate."

Cameron sat back as a thoughtful expression clouded her face.


	60. Chapter 60

Well, I didn't quite wrap up all of the plotlines in this chapter, but as I said last week, I'll be off on a vacation for two weeks. I hope to have a new chapter on June 24th or 25th.

 **Chapter 60.**

House stood, snatched one last cookie and said. "Guess we've taken up enough of your time. See you Saturday."

"You certainly will." Anna got up too and took three steps to House to peck his cheek.

Cameron hugged her goodbye, but still had a pensive look.

Anna saw them out, and they walked to the car.

"Will and Sharon next?" she asked.

"Yes." House got into the driver's side. "Mind telling me what has you so unnaturally quiet?"

"I'm always quiet."

"Not like this.

She bit her lip. "Maybe we should have studied the situation along harbor road and at the dock before we bought that property and built there."

"Nothing we can do about it now. Gotta go with the flow."

They'd reached the Davis' home and parked on the street. Sharon quickly answered their knock on her door. "Haven't seen you two in a while."

"We've been busy, and expect you were too." Cameron took out an invitation and was about to hand it to Sharon when Will appeared.

"Come on in," he said with a grin. "You heard the election's on for Tuesday, right?"

"Yes, but that's not why we're here." Cameron followed the couple into their living room.

Will waved at a couch. "Have a seat."

Once seated, Cameron again held out the invitation. "You knew we were planning an open house. Of course, you're both invited. It's on Saturday. I know it's short notice, but the printer botched the job the first time."

Sharon took the invitation. "Will's told me so much about the place, so I've been anxious to see it. Thanks for including us."

"Including you in what?" Rachel asked as she entered the room.

"Dr. House and Dr. Cameron are having an open house at their new place next Saturday."

Cameron smiled at the teen. "You're invited too. I hope you're free."

"This Saturday? Wow. Yes, I'd love to see the new house. Bet it's amazing."

"Of course. Your dad built it. We're looking forward to seeing you all." Cameron couldn't think of anyone else she really wanted to come to the party, and she wondered what was happening at the house, so she stood, shook hands with Will, Sharon and Rachel.

That was House's signal to stand too and say goodbye.

They drove home, each lost in their thoughts.

* * *

Simpson walked Chatterji to the place where she'd rented an apartment, close to the hospital and the restaurant where they had dinner. When they reached her door, he hesitated before gazing into her dark eyes, cupping her chin, bending down and kissing her.

She welcomed the kiss by putting a hand on his neck and holding his head as she kissed him back. When the lip lock broke, she said, "This was a wonderful evening, Bart. I don't know where we'll go from here, but I'm so glad I found you."

His eyes went wide. That was more than he could hope to hear. "Anaya, I enjoyed the evening too, and hope we'll spend many more together."

Her smile lit up her eyes. "I'd like that."

"Um, see you tomorrow."

"Yes."

"You'll come with me to the party Saturday, won't you?"

"Of course." Her smile remained and her eyes shone in the hallway lights. "Good night, Bart." She stood on tiptoes to kiss him once more.

* * *

"Can we go down Mulberry Street on our way home?" Jess asked Wilson.

"Why do you want to do that?"

"Just checking up on the house where one of our patients lives. His owner brought him in three times this year already with injuries she said were caused by something in her backyard."

Wilson shrugged. "Sure, I'll take you there."

They drove the half mile from the diner. The house was similar to all the others on the street, the type called Cape Cod, with one or two bedrooms on the first floor and two dormer bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. The curtains were closed. A neat front yard with a flagstone walk between rows of flowers. The driveway led to a garage to one side of the backyard, although a fence kept them from seeing into the yard.

"Can you tell whether there's an alley behind these houses separating them from those on the next street over?" Wilson asked.

"No, it doesn't look like it. Oh, well. Guess I won't get any answers this way." Jess sat back in her seat, a frown on her face.

"We'll find a way," Wilson said. "Let's go home. You can play girl detective in the daylight tomorrow."

"I'm not playing. This isn't a game. Jimmy, that poor animal is likely suffering from abuse." She opened her door.

"Jess, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see whether there's access to the back yard from the driveway or a neighbor's yard." She took off at a good clip.

Wilson sat for a moment before rolling his eyes, exiting the car and following her. As stealthily as possible, they walked around the driveway, but didn't find a way through to the backyard.

"We'll have to try from the next street. The house behind hers is that one with the blue shutters." Jessica made her way back to the car.

Wilson got in and drove around to the next street, easily locating the house with the blue shutters. This time when Jessica got out, he shook his head and stayed in the car.

She walked between that house and the next one over toward that backyard. He lost sight of her after that until she came running back to the car, accompanied by the barking of a large dog, who showed himself to be a yellow Lab. Jess relaxed a bit when she realized there was a fence between the dog and her, but she hoped the barking didn't bring people out to see why.

She held her breath twenty seconds, but no one showed. Relaxing even more, she returned to her vantage point and looked into the yard belonging to her patient's family. Mostly sparse grass. Nothing in the yard could have injured the dog the way he had been. She'd seen enough and retreated to the car.

"It looks like the yard is safe for the dog, so how is he being hurt?" she asked.

"I'm sure you can guess."

She grimaced. "Now I have to come up with an excuse to visit the home."

* * *

"Can't wait to hear how the evening went for Bart and Anaya," Jacobs told Magnani. They sat together on the couch in their family room.

He shrugged. "I'm more interested on how our evening will go. It isn't often it's just the two of us here." He shifted closer to her and an arm around her shoulders.

She rested her head on his chest. "I just want Bart to be happy. Anaya too. But yeah. It's great being just the two of us."

They weren't alone for long. Simpson entered grinning.

"Guess it went well," Jacobs said.

"You could say that." Simpson kept on grinning.

"How far did you get?" Magnani asked.

Jacobs slapped his arm. "Rocco!"

He rubbed where she hit him. "What'd I do?"

"That's between Bart and Anaya." Still she watched Simpson expectantly.

"It's okay. Um, we kissed." Simpson plopped into a chair with a contented sigh.

Jacobs grin rivaled Simpson's.

* * *

Hadley called Anita at seven-thirty. "Want me to run over dinner for the three of you? I guess the doctors aren't home yet."

"No, they aren't. I thought they'd be here by now," Anita said.

"They're delivering party invitations. So, about the food?" Hadley asked again.

"We already ate. Called in an order to the Italian place in town."

"I didn't know they delivered out there." Hadley was surprised.

"For the newest police officer on the force they did," Anita said proudly. "Actually, I thought the manager wanted to get a look at the house."

"And you don't need company." Hadley sounded lonely.

Anita grinned. "I'll be home soon after House and Cameron arrive. It can't be much longer. I expect they already had delivered their invitations before and during dinner."

"True. I have one for us. Of course, you've already seen the place."

"Ah. I get it now. It's not me or loneliness that motivates you." She laughed. "You just want a sneak peek, right?"

Hadley laughed. "You got me. I mean, not that I don't miss you."

So when House and Cameron walked into their home fifteen minutes later, Anita smiled, said, "Hi and 'bye," and was out the door. If Steve hadn't remembered by then, she doubted he would that night.

She rushed home, her heart feeling lighter and lighter as she neared Hanbury Street. How much should she tell Remy? How much could she? Just to sit on the couch next to her watching inane TV shows would be enough although a few kisses and a little wine would wash the taste of being in the same room as Curt from her mouth.

Anita had never told Remy the story about her involvement with the agent in the distant past. She never thought she'd see him again. Yet, here he was. The sooner they learned what happened to Steve, the sooner he'd be gone again.

* * *

Cameron watched Anita leave with raised eyebrows.

She left House in the guest room with Steve and Curt. If anyone could get more out of Steve, it was House. Meanwhile, she called the nail salon, hoping it was still open. A slightly accented voice answered, "May I help you."

"I'd like to make an appointment for a pedicure for tomorrow or Friday," Cameron said. "The name is Allison Cameron. Your salon was recommended by a friend."

"Oh, yes, yes. Can do tomorrow. Eleven o'clock, okay?" the woman said.

"That's perfect." Cameron hung up, her eyes narrowed then she quickly jotted down the questions she wanted to answer about the place, including how they cleaned their instruments and the hands of the women who worked there. With that settled, she returned to the men.

Steve had dozed off. House and Curt spoke in whispers.

"Why don't the two of you take that conversation to the living room or family room?" she suggested in a quiet voice.

They stood simultaneously and marched off to the family room. Before sitting down to join the conversation, she asked, "Beer, tea or coffee anyone?"

They both chose beer of course and she delivered, then perched on her favorite chair in the room, an old arm chair from her previous apartment. The tan color blended well with the darker colors of House's old couch, where Curt sat, and recliner, where he sat.

"Maybe taking him back to the scene of the crime will jog his noggin," House said.

"You're obviously talking about Steve." She sat back. It sounding like they were discussing ways to retrieve his memories.

Curt sighed. "Anita suggested the same thing, but I'm doubtful it'll help. Plus, is he well enough to travel?"

"It would only be a matter of taking him for a ride in a car." Cameron could picture what that would take. "I'd say he's physically well enough for that."

"I'll go along for the ride," House volunteered, "and to keep an eye on Steve, make sure he doesn't keel over." His brow furrowed. "As long as it's not Thursday. Wilson's taking me to get my car on Thursday."

"How about tomorrow?" Curt asked. "The less time I spend here the better, but I can't leave until we know who targeted Steve and why."

Cameron frowned at his implication he didn't like it in Shelby. "Can't you leave it to Anita to find out?"

"She quit the Agency." He shook his head. "I shouldn't even allow her near Steve, but there's no one else here I can use."

House and Cameron exchanged grimaces. She wondered if Curt realized how he sounded. No wonder Anita didn't like to work with him.

"Well, I'm, going to hit the hay," Curt said. "Thanks again for letting us stay here."

"Remember, though, you'll have to move Steve before the weekend." House nodded toward the bedroom they'd left him in.

"Yeah, yeah," Curt waved him off as he walked down the hall to his own guest bedroom.

House and Cameron watched him go with matching frowns.


	61. Chapter 61

I've been back over a week and could have sworn I'd posted this last week, but it's not in FF, so even though it was prepared, it never posted. I apologize.

 **Chapter 61.**

Wednesday morning, House and Cameron waited for Anita to arrive before leaving Curt and Steve.

House pointed toward Steve's room. "Do what you can to send them on their way, would you?"

"Aye, aye, captain." Anita executed a mock salute. "Remy's at the diner with Wilson and Jessica. I brought breakfast for Steve and Curt." She lifted a large white bag.

"Great. I wasn't sure if I should give them something besides coffee," Cameron said.

The two doctors drove to the diner, where they found the team in addition to Hadley, Wilson and Jess.

"You're sure you can't give us a clue?" Magnani asked House.

"Give it up," Wilson warned. "I tried that."

"Doesn't really matter." Jacobs smiled. "The patients are all doing well with the treatments we've started."

"So you don't care to learn what's wrong?" House asked.

"I didn't say that, just that the information isn't as vital as it seemed at first."

"Mostly you're treating the symptoms." It wasn't a question. "They were bound to get better. But what about long-term?"

"We'll worry about that after you reveal all on Saturday."

Everyone laughed as Linda arrived with breakfast for House, Cameron, Simpson, Jacobs and Magnani. The others were finished eating.

"I'm off to work and my own little mystery," Jess said.

House's eyes went wide. "Do tell."

"I'll let Wilson fill you in." She rose and the others let her out.

Wilson was eager to regale them all with their adventures of the night before, ending with, "Jess is very concerned that the dog is being mistreated. From her descriptions of his injuries, I don't blame her."

"How can we help?" Jacobs asked.

House sat back and listened to their discussion. He kind of wished he'd been with Jessica the night before. Maybe he would have spotted something she missed.

"I told her to find a pretext to keep the dog under observation the next time his owner brings him in," Wilson said.

"So you can examine him?" House asked facetiously. "Or maybe ask the dog what happened?"

"Actually, yes. Animals don't have to talk to communicate. The way it reacts to what we do can tell us a lot."

House smirked. "Since when did you become a veterinarian?"

"Don't laugh. I think we can learn a lot from having the dog with us for a few days." Wilson narrowed his eyes. "That is, if we're allowed to, oh, landlord of ours."

House laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I'd like to take a look at this animal myself."

Cameron nodded but frowned as she thought about how the dog might have been mistreated.

* * *

Dr. Carter also agreed with Wilson's idea of keeping the dog for observation if his owner ever brought him into the veterinary clinic again. "If it were something in the yard, he'd avoid it, and not continually get hurt. No, there's something strange happening inside the house," he told Jessica.

She couldn't very well tell him about her exploits the evening before, but he'd been suspicious before when the dog returned so many times in a short span.

Meanwhile, they had other dogs and cats to tend to. And a parrot. The woman who brought the bird in complained that it no longer spoke.

Jessica forced the parrot to open its mouth. "I don't see anything. Is Polly eating?"

"Well, no."

"That's more alarming than the fact she won't speak. They might eat like birds, but they do eat something. What kind of seeds are you feeding her?"

The owner shook her head. "Oh, I wouldn't feed my animal seeds."

Jessica raised one eyebrow.

"No, I feed her people food, you know, table scraps."

Jessica raised the other eyebrow. Another person who shouldn't have a pet. The response prompted Jessica to check for something lodged in the bird's throat. She pulled out a tiny bone and held it up. "This is why you should feed your bird only the seeds recommended for her."

"Oh!" The woman was aghast. "I'm so sorry. I won't ever give her anything again except bird seed."

Jessica nodded and sent them on their way, hoping the woman learned her lesson.

* * *

The team drove to the hospital, ready to release their patient, but he wasn't in his room when they arrived.

A passing nurse told them, "Oh, he went to the garden to get used to breathing air again."

So, that's where they went, but the patient was coming back, gasping for breath. They helped him back to his room, and Jacobs examined him. His blood pressure was back up, and he was having trouble breathing. A whiff of his inhaler didn't help much.

When John could speak, he said, "I went for some fresh air, ya know? There must be something in the air that set me off."

Simpson, Jacobs and Magnani exchanged glances. Did he have allergies to flowers or trees? It wasn't something they'd particularly considered. And besides, most plants were almost dormant as they closed in on winter.

"There are fall allergies. My cousin had bad ones, couldn't go outside in September or October," Magnani said.

"But it's the start of November," Simpson countered. "We'll have to find out what's blooming in The Garden this time of year."

"Was he only getting better because he's been breathing the filtered air inside?" Jacobs asked. She turned to the patient. "Where were you sitting out there?"

"One of the benches. I've been sick and tired of being in this room all the time."

She looked contrite. "We should have taken you for walks through the building. I'm sorry."

"Guess I shoulda spoken up." He smiled, breathing normally again.

"No real harm done," Simpson said, but they'd have to check The Garden and test the patient for possible allergies.

* * *

At eleven, after a quiet morning in the clinic, Cameron walked to the next-door nail salon. "Hi, I'm Allison Cameron. I have an appointment," she told the receptionist.

The woman smiled. "You're Dr. Cameron from the clinic."

"Desiree, right?" Cameron recognized the petite young woman who'd come to see her two or three months before with a sore throat.

"Right. Della will be with you shortly. Would you like tea or coffee while you wait?" she asked.

"Coffee would be great, thanks." Instead of sitting, she walked around the reception area, admiring the array of nail polishes for sale. When the receptionist returned with her coffee, she asked, "You always seem busy. Do you have many repeat customers?"

"Oh, yes. More than half of the women who come in were here before."

"I see you have certificates from the board of health." Cameron pointed to one on the wall above her desk.

"They inspect quarterly. We've never had any problems." Desiree smiled. "They say it's one of the cleanest places they go to." Her phone rang and she took the call, entering something on the computer and frowning. "That's the third person this week who's canceled. None of them have given a reason."

"I suppose something else came up." Cameron brushed it off, but she wondered whether her toenail patient had something to do with others canceling.

A light flashed on the computer and her frown disappeared. "Della will see you in booth three." She pointed.

Cameron walked to the designated cubicle and pushed aside the curtain that served as a door.

"Miss Allison?" said the petite Asian woman. "I am Della and I will be your technician."

As Della pampered her toenails and fingernails, Cameron asked a couple of non-threatening questions. By the time she left the salon, she was satisfied she was right. The patient couldn't have gotten a nail fungus from a pedicure.

* * *

House had two walk-in patients that morning, both requiring an MRI, so he turned them over to Mortimer after a brief exam and even briefer chat. One had stomach pains, while the other had injured his shoulder in a game of basketball. Business was picking up. The cabinet for patient files now contained five.

At noon, he drove to the diner to find out what anyone else was up to, although he didn't expect Wilson, Hadley or the team, not even Anita. Still, he was surprised the booth was empty. He settled on the Naugahyde seat with a cup of coffee, promptly delivered by Linda.

He watched the entrance for Cameron or Jessica, so he saw the nondescript man enter and follow the waitress to a table not far away. The man was obviously new to Mo's, as he read the menu cover to cover, then asked about the specials, even though Linda had taken to listing them on a blackboard hung behind the counter. She pointed and the man nodded.

For want of anything better to do, House watched the man methodically open his napkin and place the flatware it held, fork on the right, knife and spoon on the left. House almost expected him to tuck the napkin into the neck of his long-sleeved light blue Henley. Instead, he spread it across his lap and waited for whatever he'd ordered.

Then Mortimer walked through the door and made a beeline for the man's table, sitting down across from them. Their first few words were only a murmur, but it was obvious they knew each other. That decided House. He stood and walked the few feet to their table.

"Mortimer, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

The lab tech looked at House in surprise. "Ah, yes. Dr. House, this is my friend, Charlie Norris. Charlie, meet my new boss, Dr. Gregory House."

Norris smiled at him. "Thanks for giving Davey this job. He's been raving about your new offices."

House filed that info away. Linda arrived to take Mortimer's order, and House said, "I'll leave you to your lunch." He retreated to the booth.

Cameron finally arrived. She held up her hands, backs to him.

It took a while to realize why. "You went to the nail place."

"Right." She smiled. "It's very clean, and the operators are very careful to sterilize their equipment."

"So, as you thought, the patient couldn't have gotten her athlete's foot infection from a pedicure there."

Cameron shook her head and her eyes narrowed. "I have a feeling they refused to give her a pedicure and this is her way of getting back at them."

"So what are you going to do?"

"For one thing, I won't testify if she takes this to court. Or if I do, it'll be on behalf of the nail salon."

Jessica arrived soon after.

"Has the dog returned?" House asked.

"No, but I had an odd visit from a parrot and it's owner." She went on to tell them what she found.

"You mean Polly shouldn't even eat crackers?" House asked.

Jessica shook her head.

* * *

Wilson tried to google Dr. Shepherd so he could be prepared for the visit. There was scant information about the doctor, even from the Duke University site.

His specialty seemed to be childhood lymphomas, that were dear to Wilson's heart although he was a broader oncologist. Shepherd had been at Duke a little over a year, kept a low profile but had gotten excellent results.

This might not be such a bad assignment, Wilson thought.

Following a link to a paper presented by Shepherd to an oncology conference, Wilson found a picture of four people. No telling which one was Shepherd. He couldn't be the striking female on the right, a head shorter than the three men who smiled at the camera while she just stared. Probably not the older man with gray hair and mustache. That left two youngish men who were almost indistinguishable from each other. Well, he'd find out on Monday.

Wilson went back to doing research for a current patient. But his mind wandered to Jessica's investigation of the cause of her patient's injuries. She was becoming as curious as House usually was.

He smiled, thinking about how fearless she'd been the night before, sneaking through backyards and up driveways. His main concern, though, was the possibility she'd want to adopt the dog.

* * *

At lunch, Chatterji told the team Jake continued to improve.

"Our patient hasn't." Bart frowned. "In fact, a visit to The Garden caused a relapse of sorts."

"Is Jack allergic to one of the plants or trees?" she asked then took a bite of her chicken sandwich.

All three nodded. "We plan to examine the flora for any that might cause an allergic reaction, then test him to see which it is," Magnani said.

She swallowed. "Can I help?"

Simpson waved the hand holding two French fries. "You can ask your patient whether he's ever been diagnosed as allergic to anything."

She smiled. "His intake notes showed seasonal allergies in the spring, but it's late fall now."

"At least they answered that question that's right there on the forms patients or their guardians fill out. Too many of them ignore those questions," Magnani said.

"Or they don't know." She sipped her iced tea.

"House says 'everybody lies', and he's not far from the truth."

"People who are allergic to spring flowers are often allergic to other things and don't know it."


	62. Chapter 62

Hope you all have a great week. Here's another chapter.

 **Chapter 62**

The car repair shop called House that afternoon to confirm the sportscar would be ready on Friday. He immediately let Wilson know he'd need his friend's chauffeuring services.

"Why can't Cameron take you?" Wilson countered.

"She's working." Emphasis on working.

Wilson became indignant. "What am I? A layabout?"

"You can take a few hours out of your busy schedule to drive your BFF an hour or so away," House said. "No one will miss you."

"Pfftt," Wilson said. "You're making assumptions…"

"Oh, come now." House laughed. "You released your most important case last week and two more since then. How many you have left? Two? One?"

"Two."

"And neither is scheduled for surgery tomorrow, so you can have interns tend to them for a couple of hours."

"Okay, okay," Wilson capitulated. "Don't get your shorts in a twist. I'll take you. Morning or afternoon?"

"Now you're talking. So, we leave after breakfast, drive up there, then I follow you back but with a stop at that cafe, the one we stopped at last time."

"What for? It'll be the middle of the morning." Wilson's voice had risen an octave. "And besides. That'll mean more than two hours."

"Don't you want to try another of their fabulous desserts?" He could picture Wilson rolling his eyes up to the heavens, mumbling, "Why me?"

* * *

Jessica was surprised to see the injured dog and his owner again. His previous wounds were healing but he had new lacerations, very recent ones at that.

"Mrs. Carruthers, I'd like you to take me to your yard and show me how Bruno is injuring himself." Jess ran her fingers through Bruno's coat, careful not to touch any of his injuries. Bruno relaxed. She'd noticed he hadn't pulled away from his owner, but he was more comfortable with her.

"Well, today wouldn't be a good day for that," Mrs. Carruthers said.

Ignoring the woman's reply, Jess went on, "We'll have to keep him here under observation for a day or two," she rushed to add, "to monitor his improvement."

"Well, I'm not sure…"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll take him home with me myself each evening to make sure he has food and water." She petted Bruno. "We don't like to leave animals here at night, especially."

Mrs. Carruthers' mouth pursed, as if she was considering what to do.

Jessica had to cap her argument. "No extra charge for the extra care, of course."

She finally capitulated. With one last glance at Bruno, she left. Jessica wondered if they'd ever see her again. Maybe Bruno would be better off if they didn't. Meanwhile, she would watch the dog's behavior and see if he was afraid of anything. Or anyone.

Jess led the dog to a large kennel they had at the back of the clinic. She made sure he had enough water and food, and then went back to work.

* * *

That afternoon, the team investigated The Garden. A few patients in wheelchairs were the only other people there. A heady, sweet aroma filled the enclosed area.

Simpson and Jacobs went from tree to tree, attempting to identify what they all were while Magnani did the same for the shrubs and flowers.

Magnani breathed deeply with closed eyes. "These roses are still blooming. Back home, they're all dormant by now. Mostly they just bloom in June and July."

Between them they came up with a list of seven plants that could be allergenic. "I've ordered a scratch test for our patient but we should make sure it includes all of these, especially the roses."

"I'll go tell the tech who's preparing the test." Simpson took off at a trot, eager to get to the tech.

Magnani and Jacobs returned to John's room. Jacobs wondered if he was one of the people who didn't completely fill out the intake forms. "John, do you have any allergies? Foods, pollen or dust?" she asked.

He laughed. "If you count my sister-in-law, yeah."

"What do you mean?" Jacobs' eyebrows drew together.

John laughed. "Well, I can't go near her without sneezing."

"Does she use a particular scent?" Magnani asked. "Perfume or something?"

"I don't know."

Jacobs had a thought. "How are you around roses or other flowers?"

* * *

Chatterji approached her patient, who was watching cartoons on TV. "Has anyone ever told you what triggers your spring allergies?"

He shook his head. "But I sneeze sometimes around my cousin's cat."

"I'd like to do a test to see if you're allergic to anything. It's easy. We scratch your back with a tiny bit of the allergen and see if your skin reacts. It feels like when you scratched a mosquito bite with your finger and doesn't really hurt, but we'll watch to see whether you have a bad reaction to anything. Maybe we'll see if you really are allergic to cats. Or to your cousin."

Jake laughed, yet it was always possible that something about the boy's cousin set off an allergic reaction.

Chatterji went back to her office to do some research on allergies. Could the answer to House's challenge be that simple? The patients all had allergies? It had to be more than that, yet something relatively common. Starting her search with allergies, she learned more than she wanted to know about conditions that presented as allergic reactions.

* * *

Anita, Steve and Curt were playing five card stud, betting with toothpicks. "Am I going to have to stay here much longer?" Steve checked his cards, smiled and bet two toothpicks.

"I promised House and Cameron we'd have you out of here by Friday at the latest." Anita frowned at her jack of diamonds, eight and five of spades, and six and two of clubs, and folded.

"We were thinking of taking you to the scene of the crime, so to speak," Curt said. He placed four toothpicks next to Steve's two. "Raise you two."

Steve added two more, and they showed their hands. Curt had three tens plus the ace and seven of hearts, but Steve had three queens plus two twos. He gathered the eight toothpicks, adding them to his growing stack.

"Can we play for quarters next time?" Steve asked.

"Only if you tell us what you're holding back," Anita replied. "You've remembered more that you're not telling us."

"Well, yeah. I mean, if I tell you, once I'm well I'll have to leave this great bedroom plus all the delivery food and have to go back to my crummy apartment and peanut butter sandwiches."

Anita looked at Curt. "Aren't you paying this guy enough for a decent place to live?"

"Hey, I don't set salaries for the staff at the bureau. There's a pay scale and they tend to stick to the schedule for raises." Curt pushed back his chair and stood. "I'm getting a beer. Anyone else want one?"

"Bring three," Steve said. "Haven't had one since I've been here."

"And you shouldn't even now. That was some hit your head took." Anita pointed to the bump, still visible on the back of his head.

Steve jutted out his chin. "Dr. Cameron said I could probably be released from her care tomorrow."

"Good. Then we'll drive you to Snow Hill to see whether being in Lori's apartment will jog your memory." She looked up as Curt returned, bearing three bottles of beer. "House won't like you drinking his stuff." But that didn't stop her from taking one.

"What happened to my car?" Steve asked.

"We left it where you parked it. It seemed perfectly safe there. No one had touched it in several days, besides us."

"Bet it's still there. Who'd want an old junker like that?"

"Hey, that's my 'old junker'," huffed Steve. "That Chevy has taken me all over the country on jobs. Anyway, you'd be surprised at how many people would like to get their hands on a beauty like that."

* * *

When Cameron returned to the clinic after lunch, Carol handed her a thick sheet of paper. "This came for you while you were gone. I always thought they had to serve these in person, but I guess not."

Cameron read it quickly then looked up. "She has some nerve. Mrs. Rafferty is suing the nail salon and I've been subpoenaed to appear in court on Tuesday."

Carol's jaw dropped. "But that's election day. You'll be busy."

"You and I know that, but unfortunately I will have to go to court on this claim that morning." Cameron sighed. "Hopefully, it shouldn't take long. If Mrs. Rafferty expects me to back up her suit, she'll be surprised at what I testify."

Carol's eyes narrowed. "Maybe she knew about the election."

"Well, of course she did. But she doesn't set the court schedule. Also, I can't see how my testimony can affect my election one way or the other." She shrugged and looked around the empty waiting room. "I'm not going to worry about it now. I should get ready for any patients that come in." But she couldn't dismiss the subpoena so easily. She looked toward the door, willing a patient to appear and take her mind off Mrs. Rafferty.

As if on signal, a man limped in, holding on to the door frame. He was a stranger, but something seemed familiar to Cameron. Something about his long thin nose and his soft brown eyes.

Carol asked the man, "Can we help you?"

"I need a doctor. Right away." With that, he promptly fell to the floor.

Carol helped Cameron bring the man into the exam room. His breathing was shallow but, at first, there didn't seem to be any cause for that or his losing consciousness. Carol returned to her desk and Cameron began her examination.

Something was seriously wrong with the man. She gently removed his jacket, examined his head and neck. No sign of damage. Next, she probed his stomach and listened to his heart. She'd have to lift his upper body to listen to his lungs, but they didn't seem to be involved despite the shallow breathing.

She didn't even know who he was.

* * *

Mortimer entered House's office with the x-rays he'd taken in the morning. "Looks like Jason Pendleton has a hairline fracture of the patela."

House put the film in the light box and studied it. "It's very fine, but it's there. Could be the cause of the inflammation of his knee. What about Johnson?"

"Mr. Johnson's x-ray doesn't show any fractures of his ribs, but see here? The disc is compressed."

House peered at the second set of films. "That would cause more pain than Pendleton's knee fracture." He led the way out to the reception area. "Naomi, call Pendleton and Johnson and make appointments with each of them. We'll also have to refer them to the orthopedic team at Snow Hill."

Naomi immediately picked up the phone for the first call.

Another patient waited to see him, a woman.

Naomi put her hand over the phone and announced, "Mrs. Rafferty to see you." She handed him a thin file.

The name sounded familiar to House. He wondered what her problem was. "Come in and tell me what I can do for you."

She followed him into the examination room. Without being asked, she removed her shoes and heavy socks. "Look at these. Aren't they ugly?"

That jogged his memory of Cameron's description of the woman. "I can give you Lamisil, but it'll come back."

"No, no. I know that," she said in an exasperated voice. "It's the nail salon. They did this."

"You're saying you had a pedicure there and this is the result?" House lifted one of her feet and studied it. "Looks like a long-standing condition to me. When was the pedicure?"

"Two weeks ago."

"Do you have proof of that?"

She pulled her foot out of his grasp, snarled and said, "If you won't back me up, who will?"

He glared at her. "You idiot, this is a job for a podiatrist. And I doubt this has anything to do with any nail salon."

In a huff, she pulled her socks on and then her shoes. Without another word, she left.

House looked up at the ceiling and sighed.


	63. Chapter 63

As usual, the more threads I tie up, the more new ones I introduce

 **Chapter 63.**

When Cameron couldn't revive her patient, she called an ambulance from Snow Hill. One of the things she'd initiate if she were elected on Tuesday was an EMT service based in Shelby. They'd still have to transport patients to one of the hospitals in the bigger town, but it would cut out the time it took to come to her, and now to House's practice.

Half an hour later, the ambulance pulled up in front of the clinic. The paramedics came in and did a cursory examination of the patient, even though Cameron told them she'd already done so, and they should transport the man immediately.

"Any indication of what caused this?" asked the short female Cameron remembered from previous cases.

"Too many possibilities to count. I don't know the man and don't have a medical history. He may have had a condition that caused this." She watched them take the patient out, making a mental note to call the hospital later in the day, but now she had other patients.

When she had a break, she called the caterer for the party. Millie Granger was a patient at the clinic for her frequent issues with migraine headaches, but she also ran a catering firm.

"How are you doing today?" Cameron asked.

"Not bad. None of the pains in my neck or eyes that signal one of my headaches is on its way."

Cameron smiled. "Guess the medications and exercises are working. Did you make up a tentative menu for the party Saturday night?"

"Yes. I'll be near the clinic later today, so I can drop it off." Millie sighed. "I hope you like my choices. I included several vegetarian dishes and a few that are gluten-free. Everyone has been asking for those lately, and I'm happy to add them."

Cameron thought about all the people who'd appreciate the choice. "That's great."

* * *

When Chatterji joined the team for a mid-afternoon break, she had a few suggestions. "I've researched a few allergy-related illnesses. Three or four might fit both of our patients. I can't speak for Cameron's patient or Dr. Carter, but maybe it's just rhinitis or asthma."

Simpson smirked. "We'd started down the same path, but were daunted by the number of diseases that present as allergies."

"Have you identified what Jack is allergic to?" she asked.

Jacobs shrugged. "We think roses, but haven't gotten the results from the scratch tests."

Chatterji nodded. "Jake is allergic to, of all things, orange juice. Or rather, he reacts to it the way someone would react to an allergen. I'm still testing to see whether or not he's allergic to anything else."

"We can do a breathing test to see if it's asthma. But could that really be what House knew all the patients had when we first examined them?"

Magnani laughed. "Allergies and asthma are so common, we often don't think of them when we examine a patient. We're so used to looking for something more exotic."

* * *

Jessica called Wilson to let him know she was bringing Bruno home with her. Between other patients, she'd looked in on the dog and found him curled up in a corner of the kennel or munching on the food she'd left him. He seemed content in the small space.

"I kind of expected it," Wilson said. "So, his owner came in again. Poor pup."

"He's a sweetheart. Hasn't given me any problems. Certainly hasn't been barking like so many others we've had here."

"Looking forward to meeting him." He didn't add, "Our new roommate," but that's what he expected would happen. All the more reason they needed a larger place. The apartment in House's building was fine for now, but he wanted a spread like House and Cameron built.

"You don't mind?"Jess asked in a voice that held a bit of apprehension.

He needed to reassure her. "Of course I don't. It should be fun to have him around for a few days. Or longer, if that's necessary."

"Well… it shouldn't take more than two to determine how he's getting hurt." She paused. "You think we can keep him longer? I mean, we don't have much room. And then there's Tabby."

"We hardly ever see her, or any of her kittens for that matter." He tried to think of the last time. "It'll be fine."

* * *

Once his patient left, House remained in the reception area.

"You know, if you dismiss patients as idiots or refer them all to other doctors, you won't have many left," Naomi told him.

He was glad she didn't hold back. "That's what General Practitioners do." House stood in front of her desk.

"Aren't you also an internist and a nephrologist or something?" she asked. "I mean, I took this job because I thought you'd need a receptionist and secretary." She waved her hands at the empty room. "But do you really need me?"

"Business will pick-up." He shrugged. "Besides, you'll find that many patients are idiots. Part of treating them, is telling them so."

She laughed. "Okay. I'll just continue to play games on my computer and buff my nails or something."

"Exactly what I'd do. In fact, I haven't tried that new Harry Potter game yet." He returned to his office and closed the door.

But rather than look into the game, he called Cameron. Luckily, she was between patients.

"Your toenail lady tried to get me to treat her."

"Mrs. Rafferty. She actually sued the nail salon, and I was subpoenaed to testify."

He laughed. "Well, she picked the wrong witness."

"I'll say." She noticed another call coming in. "See you at dinner. I gotta go." She ended that call and pressed the call waiting button.

A doctor was calling from Snow Hill Mercy. "Dr. Cameron? This is Dr. Sanchez. The man you sent us is in intensive care. Did you get any identification information from him?"

"No. You don't know who he is?"

"There was no ID on him. We'll have to check his fingerprints and search for any other indications of who he might be."

"Well, thanks for letting me know. I was worried. Guess I should still be." She shuffled a few papers and found her notes on the patient. "What did you find in your examination?"

"His pupils are non-responsive and his pulse and b.p. are low. We haven't run more intensive tests yet, but we will."

"Please keep me updated on his condition," Cameron said.

* * *

Jessica was the first to arrive at the diner that evening. She'd left the animal clinic early to take Bruno home and make sure he had food and water in the small area of the apartment she'd set off with a doggie gate.

Cameron was close behind. "What's the latest on the dog?"

"His owner brought him in again today and I kept him for 'observation.'" She made finger quotes. "How was your day?"

"Man walked in and promptly collapsed. No ID on him. The paramedics took him to the hospital and are still working on learning what caused him to pass out."

House arrived and asked, "What did I miss?"

They each repeated what they already said. "Maybe we should wait to tell these stories until everyone's here rather than as they trickle in," Cameron suggested. She also wanted to ask for their opinions on the menus Millie dropped off.

House wished he had a story of his own.

The team came in with Hadley. "We know the answer to you game," Simpson announced.

House wasn't really interested. "Where's Wilson? He's taking me to get my car tomorrow morning."

"He'll be here," Jess said with a smirk. "He knows how much you need him."

"So now we've figured it out, you don't want to hear it?" Jacobs asked.

"Not right now," he growled.

Simpson frowned and Jacobs and Magnani snarled.

They gave Linda their orders. Meatloaf was the special and it was a meatloaf kind of day.

Jess and Cameron held back on telling their stories one more time, and the team had been silenced by House. They stared at each other or the table in silence.

* * *

"What's taking so long?" Wilson asked Lembach. They stood in the entrance to the ER. "If I knew I'd be this late leaving, I'd have called Jess or even House."

"Call 'em now while we wait."

"And tell them what? That we're waiting for an ambulance to bring in a patient and I have no idea how much longer I'll be?"

"Dr. Meisner said we should be present when this patient arrives. He's a state senator, a VIP."

"I'm an oncologist. What kind of emergency examination or treatment could I do?"

"He asked for you personally. I'm just here to make sure all the paperwork's in order. They'll be here any minute." She pointed to the hand that kept straying to his pocket. "Make the call."

"Right." He took out his phone and saw three texts, two from Jess and one from House. As he called Jess, he answered House, although chances were they were both at the diner. She picked up on the first ring. "What's keeping you?" Worry etched her voice.

"A patient is coming into the hospital in an ambulance and he's asking for me. I don't know how long it'll take when he finally gets here, so I'll see you at home later."

"Don't forget to get some dinner." She ended the call. He was concerned she didn't sound happy about him still being there. But she had to know how important it was.

"Did you say state senator?" Wilson choked.

"Or congressman. They weren't very specific." She smiled.

Wilson shook his head. "I don't personally know any of those either, not from Maryland, not from New Jersey. Why'd they want me?"

"You're asking the wrong person." She waved a hand. "All will be revealed."

"I'm sure."

* * *

With no idea when Wilson would show up, and with assurances from Jess that she'd tell him Cameron's story when he did, Jess gave another brief account of her day.

"I also had interaction with toenail lady," House said.

"Mrs. Rafferty," Cameron corrected again. She waited to tell about the guy who'd collapsed until House gave his thoughts on the litigious woman.

And give them he did. "A real piece of work. She had the gall to complain to me about the nail salon. I sent her to a podiatrist, but that condition has got to be a year old."

"I agree, and that's what I'll testify," Cameron smiled. "She had me subpoenaed. But I'm more concerned about the man who came into the clinic today, asked for a doctor and collapsed."

"Who was it?"

"What was wrong?"

"Did you send him to the hospital?"

Each member of the team had a question, and she tried to answer them all.

* * *

After dinner, House and Cameron returned to their home. Anita was ready to go, anxious to get home.

"I'll release Steve tomorrow," Cameron said.

"He hasn't told us much, but we plan to take him back to Lori's apartment. Maybe that'll help him remember."

"So our guests will be gone, finally." House wiggled his eyebrows.

Anita grinned. "Sorry to have saddled you with them for a few days."

"We didn't have to do much," Cameron said.

"Just feed 'em beer."

"See you tomorrow."

Anita left and they put away their jackets and bags. House looked down the hall. "I'll go keep Steve company."

"What about Curt?"

"Hopefully, he'll be cloistered in his room making phone calls. He seems to do that around this time every night." He loped down the hallway, knocked once and entered Steve's room.

Steve sat in a chair. He looked up from a book. "Forget something? Oh, it's you Dr. House."

"Yes, just little old me." House settled on the one chair in the room. "Cameron's going to release you tomorrow."

"That's good news. Isn't it?"

"Depends on what happens when Anita and your boss take you back to Loralei's."

"Yeah, they said something about that. The kid's still not back home?"

"Nope. Doubt she'll return. Sounded like she was planning on staying in Princeton."

Steve nodded. "She should."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's dangerous near her place. Look what happened to me."

"What did happen to you?"

"I got conked over the head, for one thing."

House narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

"I remember going into the building but not why." He rubbed the back of his head. "Lumps still there."

"It'll reabsorb." House said. "Probably a hematoma under the skin from the impact."

"Blood?"

"Could be. Why?"

"Nothing." But after a beat he said, "Well, maybe. I've been having flashes of blood."

"When Curt brought you to us, you were still bleeding, but if they hit you over the head…" House did an about-face and left Steve's room. He found Curt, jabbering on the phone with someone he called Sir.

"Curt, when you found Steve, he was bloody and beaten up, right? Badly injured."

"Well, yeah. What of it?"

"He was obviously hit over the head. Whoever did that didn't have to stab him in the stomach too."

"And your point is?"

"I'm not sure. I'll have to run this past Anita."


	64. Chapter 64

Here's another chapter. I'll be away for a long weekend next week, so I'll post again in two weeks.

 **Chapter 64.**

Before House talked to Anita in the morning about his hunches, he found Cameron sitting at the kitchen table. "Something never seemed right about Steve's injuries."

"Whaddya mean?"

"He was stabbed in the stomach, beaten and hit over the head. A little excessive, don't you think?" he grabbed a cold one from the refrigerator.

"Depends on the order of the attack." She narrowed her eyes.

"If he was hit over the head first, there was no need for the other injuries."

"Right." She crossed her arms, as if she were about to suffer the same blows as Steve. "Although, if he was stabbed first, there probably wasn't a need for the hit to the head either."

"You couldn't tell, could you, which happened first?"

She sighed. "No, not really. The memory loss about the event centers on the blow to the head. The trauma of the other injuries might also play into it."

"He remembered entering the apartment, then nothing." House tapped a staccato beat on the counter.

She sat up straighter. "That would imply he was unconscious almost immediately."

"So, maybe the person who brained him wasn't the one who stabbed him?"

"It's hard to picture." She shook her head.

"He was still bleeding when Curt brought him in, right?"

"Are you saying what I think you are?" She stared into his eyes.

He smirked. "Curt's been very felicitous toward him."

She shrugged. "So he can stay close."

"Right. But we should have trusted Anita's instincts. He doesn't want Steve to tell us anything."

"Do you think he'd hurt him?"

"More than he might already have?" House shrugged. "Hard to tell. I'd rather not leave him alone with Steve."

"We can't stay with them all night."

"We can until Curt goes to bed."

Cameron nodded. She didn't have to say anything. House had decided and that's the way it would be. They walked arm-in-arm down the hallway to Steve's room. They didn't hear the two men until they were close. They were talking in low voices, the words indistinct.

"Anyone need anything?" Cameron interrupted.

"Another beer would be great," Steve said.

Before she left, she asked, "Curt?"

"Sure."

House remained while she went to get the beverages. He took a look at Steve's head injury then moved to tenderly probe his chest. "Feel that?"

"Yeah. You're close to where I was injured."

House lifted the shirt. No more blood on the bandages, a good sign. "Take it easy on lifting and carrying anything heavy for a while." He'd leave the rebandaging to Cameron.

* * *

"I can't believe House completely ignored our claims that we figured it out," Simpson said. He popped popcorn into his mouth and turned up the TV volume.

Rocco replied, "I can. The game was over, and he didn't want anything to do with it anymore. He'd moved on to the next puzzle."

"Which one?"

"Take your choice. Who stole the ballot box and ballots, who conked Steve in the head, who's hurting Bruno, what's up with Cameron's new patient… "

Jacobs interrupted, "Technically, he's not her patient."

"Wouldn't it be great if we diagnosed him and at the same time found out who he is?" Simpson asked.

"Sorry, Rocco, you were saying." Jacobs smiled sweetly.

"More like listing everything House might have on his mind at any one minute." Rocco continued, "Why Wilson wasn't there, how Jess' dog patient is getting hurt, how he can attract new patients. Really, the list goes on and on."

She sighed. "So our finding out that all the patients had allergic asthma was a non-issue."

"Exactly. But you were right. We do need a new patient, and why not Cameron's mystery one?"

"She didn't mention what doctor called her," Jacobs said.

"We'll have to ask at breakfast, if we even see her then." Magnani shrugged. "I'm liking this idea more and more. It shouldn't be hard to find out where they took him. Certainly more interesting case than some we've had recently."

"Yeah, the only interesting things about Jack were finding The Garden and playing House's game." She noticed Simpson's frown. "Bart, what's wrong?"

"I like when we treat kids."

"So we can bring Anaya in on our DDx?" Magnani smirked.

His cheeks reddened. "Maybe."

* * *

Wilson finally arrived home to find Jess and the dog asleep on the couch. His patient turned out to be a US Senator from a midwest state who'd been at a hospital closer to DC, but who needed discrete and quick surgery for prostate cancer. Wilson got him settled in a private room, reviewed his history and test results, and ordered additional tests overnight so he could operate in the morning.

He was beat. At the back of his mind he knew he should let House know he couldn't do a road trip in the morning, but he was too tired to even contemplate what that conversation would be like. Instead, he texted Cameron that she'd have to do the honors while he was performing surgery. Wilson knew he was weaseling out, but it was necessary.

Jessica stirred, waking the dog. Wilson smiled. "Hi, Bruno. I'm the other person who lives here." He held out a hand for the dog to smell. "I have a feeling you and I will become great friends. I'm probably going to need a new BFF after this." The dog didn't seem impressed.

"You're home," Jessica stated the obvious, but she was still waking up. "Did you get something to eat?"

Wilson couldn't even remember what it was. He'd gone to the cafeteria with Lembach and they had taken a few bites before the ambulance arrived. "Yes. I'll get a banana and then join the two of you on the couch, if you don't mind." He found an apple instead as well as a can of beer. He brought one for Jess and sat beside her, absently rubbing the dog between his ears.

"The patient finally arrived, I take it?" Jess sipped the beer.

"Yes. I'll operate on him in the morning."

Her eyes narrowed. "I thought you were taking House to get his car."

"I texted Cameron and explained why she'll have to." Wilson looked down at the beer in his other hand.

Jessica's eyes opened wide. "You know, House will think you arranged this so you wouldn't have to take him."

"Don't I know it! But the patient needs this surgery as soon as possible. He shrugged. "I couldn't say no to him or to Dr. Meisner."

"If it were anyone else, they'd understand. The fallout could be enormous."

Wilson took a deep breath and let it out. "I'll have to find a way to make it up to him."

"Fat chance."

Wilson hugged Jessica. The dog barked, but then settled between them. "At least I have the two of you."

* * *

Upstairs from them, Anita arrived home. "What did I miss at the diner?"

"Not much." Hadley recited everything that happened, including the dog that had taken up residence the floor below.

"How can you say that wasn't much?" Anita dropped onto the couch next to her. "Lots more than happened with Steve today."

"He still doesn't remember anything?" Hadley asked the obvious.

"No, tomorrow we'll take him to Snow Hill, let him get his car, maybe even visit Lori's apartment." Anita smiled. "I'd love to do that without Curt, but I'm afraid I'll have to take him along."

"Or rather he'll insist on going wherever Steve is. To be there when Steve remembers?"

"Yeah, but is that because he doesn't want Steve to remember what part Curt played in the attack or he doesn't want to share Steve's intel with me? That's the question."

"You still don't trust Curt."

"After my dealings with him in the past, no I don't."

* * *

Cameron walked slowly back to the guest room. House was there to watch Curt, but she wasn't sure how he'd react when she passed on Wilson's call. She handed the beers out then leaned against the windowsill.

"What took you so long?" House gulped his first sip.

She crossed her arms and leaned away from him. "Wilson texted."

"And?"

"He suggested I take you to pick up the car tomorrow," she said.

"Guess he's got some dying kid he'd rather spend his morning with."

"No, actually Meisner asked him to admit some hotshot politician tonight and Wilson has to operate on the man tomorrow." She bit her lip.

"And he couldn't call me himself. He had to send word through you."

Her voice became softer. "Maybe he thought you'd take the news better from me."

Steve watched their exchange as if it was a tennis match, but Curt asked, "Where's your car?"

"Small town northeast of here." House didn't bother to tell the agent the name. "Long story, but that's where the repair shop is."

"Why couldn't you take it to the dealer?"

"Nearest dealer is probably in Baltimore. Besides, nothing like a ride in the country to clear a person's head of the stupid questions people ask." He said the last few words louder than the rest.

That shut Curt up for a brief time.

"Steve needs to be re-bandaged," House said. "No bleeding, but a fresh gauze would be a good idea."

Cameron nodded and went to get the supplies then set to work removing the old and applying new. "It's healing nicely, but it was a long and deep gash, luckily missing any organs."

"Thanks, Doc. I hope you know how much I appreciate the care and the use of your guestroom."

Curt stood and yawned. "Well, I'm off to bed. Steve, if you need me, I'm in the next room."

"Sure." Steve sighed. "Thought he'd never leave," he whispered.

House glanced at Cameron and then back to him. "Why?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course." Cameron moved closer so he didn't have speak loudly.

"He scares me. I don't know why."

Cameron decided to say, "We've wondered if he had anything to do with the attack on you."

"Could he have?" Steve's eyes grew wider.

"He was the one who found you." House shrugged. "There are too many questions about how you received your assortment of wounds."

"But what would it gain Curt if he knocked me out? Especially if he then brought me to you."

Cameron shook her head. "He could have taken you to a hospital. Why keep it secret? Why come all this way?"

"My God." He took in a big breath through his mouth. "Don't leave me alone with him ever. Promise?"

"That's why we're here this evening," she said. "I'll check in a half hour and make sure he's asleep before we leave you alone."

* * *

The next morning, Cameron checked on Steve before going to the kitchen. He slept soundly, nothing disturbed around him. She continued on to find Curt trying to figure out the coffee machine.

"It's set up to turn on automatically in about five minutes. You can override that, but so close, it makes no sense. You'll just have to wait." She took out eggs and bacon. "You can help by putting bread in the toaster." She'd be happy to have their visitors gone.

The front doorbell rang as House was passing through the entryway, so he opened it on Anita. "You're early," he said.

"Gotta get Steve ready for his big day in Snow Hill."

"Have you eaten?" Cameron asked. "You're just in time for breakfast."

"Just toast and coffee for me."

"Once you're gone, we take off to get our car," Cameron said.

"I thought Wilson was taking House." She followed Cameron to the kitchen.

"He has an emergency surgery scheduled for this morning." Cameron smiled, but House just growled. "Steve wasn't awake yet when I passed by."

"I'll go check on him." Anita headed down the hall but returned quickly. "I woke him, but he's very groggy."

Cameron frowned and returned to Steve's room with Anita. "Steve, can you stand?"

He wobbled as he got to his feet. "Yes?"

"Should I sent House to help you get dressed?"

"I can dress myself," he said as he sank back onto the bed.

Cameron immediately took his pulse then went for her medical bag. "He wasn't this weak when he went to sleep last night."

By then, House and Curt were in the room. "What is it?" Curt asked.

"I think he's been drugged." Cameron showed House the high blood pressure reading she'd gotten. "His pulse is irregular, too."

"That's absurd," Curt said.

Cameron checked Steve's pupils. They appeared dilated. "We have to get him to the hospital."

"You have somewhere to go," Anita said. "Curt and I can take him. When it's out of his system, we'll go on with our plan to drive to Lori's."

House looked around the room, searching for whatever Steve had been given – or had taken himself. "There's nothing there."

That confirmed to Cameron whoever did this must have taken the cause away. She knew it wasn't House or herself. That left only one person. How did he think he'd get away with it? He knew they were both doctors. She shook her head.

She caught House's gaze. Looked like he was struggling with the desire to get the car and the one to see what had been done to Steve.

"We can postpone our trip for the car until this afternoon. I'd like to be there when we find out what you gave him, Curt."

"Me? Why do you think I'd do this?" Curt crossed his arms in front of him.

House poked him in the chest. "Take a look around, Bucko. Who else is there?"


	65. Chapter 65

Had a great long weekend last week but now I'm back with more story for you all.

 **Chapter 65.**

House and Cameron took Steve to the hospital with Anita and Curt following in the car behind them. On the way, Cameron made two quick calls. The first one to Hadley to ask her to cover the clinic in Shelby for her and tell her the situation, and the second to Carol to let her know Hadley would be there for any patients that walked in.

They drove directly to the ER. Once Steve was turned over to the paramedics and doctors there, Anita said, "You guys can go retrieve your other car. We'll hold down the fort here. Once Steve's released we'll take him to Lori's apartment."

"We'll wait," House said in a voice that didn't eliminated any argument.

They found three chairs in the waiting room. House sat quickly. He wasn't about to stand for however long it took.

Cameron smirked, shook her head and said, "You two can sit. I don't mind standing."

"I was going to get coffee. Anyone want any?" Curt asked. No one did, so he left to find the canteen, and Cameron took the third seat.

"I'm glad he's gone for a few minutes." Anita's voice was a whisper. "How do we prove he was the one who drugged Steve?"

"More important, how do we find out why?" House looked toward the door. "When Cameron and I finally leave to get the car, we'll stop at the house and check the room Curt's been using."

"He could have the drug with him," Cameron said.

"There is that, but it's worth looking."

The conversation ended as Curt came into view. Cameron stood so he could sit, but a couple got up at the other end of the room. Cameron took one of their seats. And they waited.

* * *

The team was also at the hospital. They discharged their patient and, with Hadley's approval, went in search of the man Cameron had sent over the day before. He was in the ICU of the cardiac unit, although there didn't seem to be anything wrong with his heart.

"Ready to hand him over to us so we can diagnose him?" Jacobs asked the harried cardiac nurse.

She nodded. "The doctors here are stymied. With all of their other patients that need their time and care, it would help if you did."

Jacobs was sure she would have liked to say, "get him off our hands."

The patient wasn't as old as she'd expected from Cameron's description of what happened, perhaps in his early forties. There were ways to find out even if they didn't know who he was.

"I'll check with Chief Anderson and ask if anyone filed a missing persons report recently for a man fitting his description," Simpson said. He took out his phone and called.

Meanwhile, Rocco checked the patient's vitals. Despite any medication the ER gave him, his blood pressure and pulse were low.

Jacobs took a sample for a DNA test as well as his fingerprints. They'd at least be able to determine if his DNA and fingerprints were on file anywhere so they could identify him.

"Take a photo, too, although I doubt he looks like he usually does," Rocco suggested.

Meanwhile, Simpson had finished talking with Anderson.

"Well?" Jacobs asked.

"No missing persons matching his description, only Mr. Puglisi, who's wandered away from home again."

Rocco chuckled. "Our patient is definitely not an octogenarian with false teeth and almost no hair."

"So, who are you?" Jacobs took out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures from two different sides.

* * *

Jessica brought Bruno to the clinic with her that morning. He'd spent a quiet night at the foot of their bed and eaten the food she'd given him. At first, he'd been leery of Jimmy, but slowly he was as playful with him as with her and Dr. Carter. Now, she placed him in his kennel with a bowl of food and one of water.

Carter greeted them both. "Any indications of what he's afraid of?"

"Only that he took time to warm to Jimmy. You're a male and he didn't have many problems with you. We've never met Mr. Carruthers. Maybe there's something about James that reminded Bruno of his owner."

Carter nodded. "How long can you and Dr. Wilson keep him?"

"As long as it takes. But we need a reason to ask Mrs. Carruthers to bring her husband to the clinic. I want to talk to him."

"Leave that to me." Carter smiled as Mrs. Carruthers entered.

"I've come for my dog." She blinked rapidly, her brow wrinkled and her hair disheveled. "Please give him to me now."

"I'm afraid we found some internal injuries and he'll have to remain here a while," Carter said smoothly.

Her agitation seemed to increase. "But my husband–ˮ she stopped abruptly as if she couldn't continue.

"Why don't you ask him to come in so I can explain to both of you what we found in our detailed examination." Jess built on the foundation Carter created.

"I suppose I can do that. I'll be right back."

Jess and Carter smiled at her pleasantly, but once she was gone, Jessica said, "I can't believe we might be able to get answers soon."

"Believe it. From her behavior, it's obvious her husband didn't accept that she'd left the dog here." Carter snarled. "He wanted to torture Bruno the same way he's been doing."

"Whatever he's hitting the dog with, it _could_ have caused internal injuries."

"We can examine the dog further, but he doesn't seem to have any tender spots." He glanced at the dog. "His injuries are superficial."

Jess started to leave the room but turned back. "How long do you think it'll take before she's back with her husband?"

"Not long. In the meantime, we have other patients waiting for us."

"That's true." Jess finally went out to the waiting room and greeted everyone. "Who's next?"

* * *

Cameron couldn't sit and wait. She stood and walked to the ER nurse at the desk to ask if she knew what had happened to the patient she'd sent over the day before.

"I believe he's in the cardiac intensive care unit. Let me check for you." She made a quick call. "He was turned over to the diagnostics team. Do you know Dr. Hadley?"

"Yes." She smiled. "Good to know he's in good hands. Do they know yet who he is?"

"Not that I know of."

"I'll ask Dr. Hadley's team after we finish here. Thanks." Cameron returned to the waiting threesome. "The team is examining the man I sent here yesterday."

"My team?" House asked.

"Hadley's." She smirked.

The ER doctors finally came out to tell them Steve was awake. "Only two at a time, please."

"I'll go in with House," Anita said.

Curt jumped up. "Not on your life."

House faced her. "Anita, I'll leave this up to you."

She grimaced but shook her head. "Okay, Curt and I will go first. Then the two of you."

While they were gone, Cameron called Hadley to find out what was happening at the clinic.

"It's been pretty quiet so far, only three patients, nothing serious," Hadley reported. "How's Steve?"

"He's awake. Anita and Curt just went in to talk to him. And your team has taken over care of the man I sent here yesterday."

"They have already, have they?" It sounded as if she wasn't surprised, and was glad.

* * *

"What happened?" Steve asked.

"You were drugged. My money's on Curt," Anita replied.

"Hey, you can't go around accusing people." Curt sounded indignant. He frowned but he didn't refute her.

"I noticed you weren't so defensive when House pointed out why it had to be you."

"Was too." Curt's nostrils flared as he lifted his chin.

"It wasn't Curt," Steve said.

"Huh?" They both stared at Steve.

"Someone came into my room after everyone left, someone more muscular than Curt or House, but at least as tall. He wore a mask like what-do-you-call-it…," Steve squinted. "a harlequin mask."

"How'd he get in?" Anita shook my head. "That house is locked up tighter than a steel vault. Try again. Steve, did you drug yourself?"

He closed his eyes and didn't open them again until tears leaked to his cheeks. "This has been the most horrendous assignment. First the couple is killed and the kid takes off, then Harve is killed, and finally I was attacked."

"Twice," she threw in.

"Twice?"

She nodded. "Would the person who hit you over the head stabbed you in the stomach too? Or would the stabber need to hit you over the head?"

"Maybe if I saw his face."

"But you didn't," Anita said.

"But he didn't know that."

She sighed. "You have a point. Okay, did you remember any more about the initial attacks?"

He started to shake his head. "Maybe. A scent. Not a cologne or like Old Spice, something else. It's on the edge of my memory and every time I try to remember what it was, it slips farther away."

"Okay, let's try this. I'll stand close to you, take a whiff and see if it's similar." She took three strides to the bed.

Steve sniffed. "Some kind of flower. Not roses. Lilacs?"

"Close." But she didn't have to tell him what scent she wore.

"Well, it wasn't that."

"Curt, come closer, let Steve sniff you."

Curt complied.

"Curt smells of those peppermints he's always chewing," Steve said.

"We'll go out and send Cameron and House in. See if they trigger anything."

Steve shook his head. "No, it's not them."

"I know it isn't." She smiled. "But whatever they smell like might help you remember."

Steve's mouth twisted. "Why can't I remember?"

"You've suffered a massive blow to the head." Curt said. He turned to the door, and Anita followed.

"We'll see you later." She opened the door, and they left.

* * *

"Well?" House asked them when they reached the waiting room.

"Well, seems he drugged himself. At first he tried to convince us some stranger got into the house and did it," Anita said. "He half-remembers a smell, though, so I told him to pay attention to how you both smell."

House frowned at Curt, still convinced he had something to do, if not with the drugging, with Steve's original injuries. "Our turn."

He and Cameron entered Steve's room. "Anita says you want to smell us."

"I don't know, Doc. Something's scratching at my brain, trying to get out, but can't. Need a trigger."

House nodded and approached the bed. Steve took a deep breath. "That's definitely not it."

"What about Curt?"

"No. Unless he recently changed his aftershave or something."

Cameron stepped closer, and Steve smiled. "You smell the best of all."

"It's her shampoo," House said.

"Will you need me for a half hour?" Cameron asked House.

"Guess now that Steve has had a sniff of you, you can go check on your almost patient." House smiled. "Long as you come back. We still have to get the car."

She smiled too and left.

* * *

She found Simpson and Jacobs in the conference room, listing symptoms on the whiteboard. "Impressive."

"And totally useless. We still don't even know who he is, so we don't have a history." Simpson waved at the whiteboard, covered with Jacobs neat handwriting. "These symptoms can be anything."

"Well, not anything. There's no sign of organ failure."

Magnani entered. "I faxed the fingerprints to Chief Anderson. He'll check all the databases he has access to."

"I don't remember ever seeing him in Shelby," Cameron said.

"Neither do we." Jacobs frowned. "Could he have been staying at the motel or the hotel downtown?"

"We can show Zach his picture. Take it to the hotel too."

"Wait a minute, what are you doing here? Weren't you planning on taking Dr. House to get the Alfa?" Simpson asked.

"Yes, but this morning we found Steve drugged."

"Curt," Jacobs guessed.

Cameron shook her head. "Steve says he did it to himself, even though there was nothing in his room for him to use."

"He could have taken something orally and only had one dose." Magnani frowned. "So he's awake enough to talk?"

"Yes. House is with him now in the ER. We'll leave in a half hour, maybe less, but when we get back to Shelby, I'll talk to Zach. Keep me in the loop on your patient."

"Will do," Simpson said.

She left them and returned to the ER. House sat in the waiting room, tapping his cane.

"Sorry I took so long. They're waiting on the results of tests and still trying to find out who the man is." She walked with him to the parking lot. "Jacobs suggested he may be staying at the motel, maybe the hotel."

House nodded. "Let's get the car, then we can worry about the identity of your mystery man."


	66. Chapter 66

We're only beginning to wrap up the loose ends of the story threads

 **Chapter 66.**

House and Cameron drove north with too many questions plaguing them. Why did Steve drug himself? Who conked and slashed him in the first place? Who was the mysterious patient? What was wrong with him? Who was hurting the dog Jessica took in? Who was Wilson's mysterious patient?

But staying at the hospital wouldn't get them answers any quicker. Events were in motion to find the answers to these questions. Meanwhile, they could retrieve the Alfa.

"Let's stop for lunch at the place we ate last time," House said after they turned eastward.

"I thought you were anxious to get the car." She smirked.

"Yeah, but if there's any delay, we won't have a chance to have lunch for hours." House whined the last word, like a kid exaggerating how long it would be before his birthday party.

"Oh, all right. You're driving. Stop wherever you want." She turned her shoulders so she was facing the window.

"You don't have to get huffy with me."

"Sorry." But she didn't sound as if she was.

* * *

The phone rang in the conference room, but no one was there. When the team returned, they saw there was a message from Chief Anderson.

"Your patient is an FBI agent named Les Colombo," he'd said. "Anita might even know him. His office has been trying to get in touch with him. They won't tell me why he was in Shelby, but my gut tells me it has to do with Steve and Curt, and the murder of their guy Harve. Let me know when he wakes up so I can pass the info on to his boss."

They looked at each other as they listened to the message, then Simpson raced off to find Anita. She and Curt were still with Steve, who'd been admitted for observation. Simpson called Anita to the side, not sure whether she would want Curt to hear what he had to say.

"We've taken on Cameron's unknown patient," he started.

"Yes, she told me." She narrowed her eyes, as if waiting for him to say more.

"His name's Les Colombo."

Her eyes popped open. "Les? How is he? He's a… a friend."

"Unconscious, I'm afraid." he said. We don't know what's wrong yet, but we're working on it. He didn't have any ID on him. Do you have any idea why he might have been in Shelby?"

She looked at Curt and then turned her back to him. "Maybe investigating Harve's death. I don't know of anything else going on here that might interest the bureau."

"Would Curt or even Steve know him?"

"It's possible. I hate to leave Steve alone with Curt, but let me know if he wakes up." She rubbed the back of her head. "How did you ID him?"

"Your new boss did. We sent him fingerprints."

She smiled. "I'm more and more impressed with Anderson every day."

"Yeah, us too."

On his way back to diagnostics, Simpson met Wilson in the elevator. "How's your patient doing?"

"We operated this morning. He should make a complete recovery." He smiled.

Before he got off the elevator, Simpson said. "That's good, but why all the secrecy?"

"All I can say is he's a powerful man." Wilson remained on the elevator to go to the next floor.

Simpson strode down the corridor to the patient's room where he met Magnani and Jacobs. They looked up when he entered.

"Anita knew him." Simpson smiled. "She agreed he might have been investigating Harve's death."

"Awful lot of people doing that," Magnani said.

"He was a government agent." Simpson scanned the board and shrugged. No changes in what was there.

"Yeah, but still, they must die all the time," Jacobs said.

Magnani chuckled. "Usually when some bad guy they're investigating takes a shot at them."

"And that's what Anita probably thinks. Trouble is, she doesn't know all the players and who's the bad guy among them."

* * *

Wilson had told Simpson the truth. The surgery went well and he couldn't say who the patient was. But the sigh of relief he breathed was longer than usual. Removing a brain tumor from a U.S. Senator was tricky business. He almost wished he'd taken House to get his car instead.

He sat in his office willing his hands to be still. They started shaking the minute the surgery was over. He wasn't sure why this surgery was so different from those he'd done before, some of them trickier.

He hadn't been there long when Dr. Meisner entered and sat on one of the more comfortable visitors' chairs. "Thank you," Meisner said. "That man you saved today is destined for great things in the future."

"You think he'll be the next Senate Whip? He's not going to do anything that stressful, at least not in the short run."

"If I were a betting man…." Meisner smiled. "You've done this hospital and the country a great service today. I knew I could count on you."

"Words like that are usually followed by a request, no, not a request, a demand."

Meisner shook his head, the smile remaining.

Wilson closed his eyes wondering what would come next. He opened them. "Okay, spit it out."

"I only want to make sure you'll keep hush hush about your patient. The press will be all over this if we're not."

* * *

At House's request, they stopped for lunch at the same restaurant they had before. This time, Cameron noticed the art work on the walls and the muted colors of the décor. "It really is a lovely place to have lunch," she said.

"A little far to go everyday." House was focused on the menu. "Think I'll have the steak today. Mo rarely makes steak."

"It's on the diner menu, but you usually get the special or one of your favorites."

"True." He put the menu down. "We're finally rid of our temporary guests. How should we celebrate?"

"What do you have in mind?" A smiled lit her face.

"We haven't finished christening each room." His leer was short-lived since the waitress arrived to take their orders. Serious again, glanced once more at the menu.

"I'll have the steak salad with oil and vinegar dressing on the side." Cameron closed her menu and handed it to the waitress.

"Strip steak, medium rare, and baked potato," House ordered.

"Salad or mixed vegetables with that?" The waitress gathered his menu.

* * *

Wilson's beeper screamed at him. There was a problem with his patient, but he wouldn't know what it was until he examined him. He rushed to the room the patient had been moved to following an hour in recovery.

He found one of the interns on his unit jump starting the senator's heart.

Wilson asked the nearest of two nurses, "What happened?"

She shook her head. "We don't know. One minute his vitals were good and the next, he crashed."

All Wilson could wonder was, 'what did I do wrong?'.

The senator's heart started after the intern had applied the paddles a third time. Normal sinus rhythm was reestablished. Wilson breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Jessica held Bruno in her lap. The dog looked at her with adoration. "Did I save you from a life of torture? Who did this to you? Too bad you can't talk."

"Seems to be he's leery of all males," Dr. Carter said. "He's warming to me, but at first he was skittish when I tried to touch him."

"Same thing happened with Jim. But after Jim was gentle with him, Bruno began to trust him."

Carter patted Bruno's head. "We have to talk to Mr. Carruthers."

"Do you really think he'll admit to harming Bruno?"

The veterinarian shrugged. "Worth a try."

Bruno barked three times.

"What is it, boy?" Jess placed her hands around the dog's face.

He barked again.

Carter started for the door. "I'll go see if anyone's out there." He opened it, and a large man with a small mustache barged in.

"You can't keep my dog here. He belongs at home," he said and grabbed for Bruno.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carruthers, if that's who you are. We can't let you take him home and abuse him." Jessica held Bruno away from the man. Bruno barked louder than ever.

"Of course I'm Mr. Carruthers. I have papers showing that dog is mine. You have no right to make accusations against me."

"However he was injured, Bruno needs constant care to recover, care he can only get from licensed veterinarians. I assure you, he will be returned to you after we have proof that he hasn't been hurt by you."

* * *

After lunch, House and Cameron continued on to the car repair shop in Curly. They entered the office and gave his name. "It's an Alfa. Jerry brought it in over a week ago."

"An Alfa Romeo?" The man at the desk scanned his computer, frowned and took out a large appointment book, crammed full of slips of paper and covered in writing by various people with various pens. "Yeah. Here it is. Needed a part."

"I got a call earlier this week that it would be finished today."

The man sighed. "We have to get a better system for keeping track. Ah, here it is." He led them to where the car sat, not only fixed, but cleaned up on the inside and out.

"How much?" House realized he should have asked that before.

The man consulted a clipboard. "The part was $18.38 with tax. Labor…" he ran a finger along a sheet of paper, … $250." He smiled at them.

House grumbled a bit and waited for Cameron to pull out a credit card.

She smirked as she did so. "Some day you ought to try using yours, see if it still works."

He ignored her and got into the car. He waited until she was strapped in, then gunned the motor, smiling as the car purred all the way out of the shop and down the street. Cameron followed in his old car, surprised that it had been more reliable than the Alfa.

* * *

Wilson's patient was finally stable again, but he still didn't know why he'd crashed. There'd been no warning sign. The thought they could have lost the senator sent a chill up his spine.

He called Jess, just to hear her warm voice. "How's Bruno?"

"We're almost certain that Mr. Carruthers mistreated him. He's up in arms because we've kept the dog away from his home and out of his clutches, but we have a call into Animal Humane. They've handled cases like this before. How'd surgery go?"

"Surgery went well. The patient was recovering," he said, "and then he crashed. We don't know why, which is troubling, since we don't know how to prevent it happening again. At least we stabilized him."

"You're worried because he's a VIP."

"I'm worried because he's my patient, but, yeah, the fact he's a VIP makes it even more worrisome. I'll have to stay on top of the case."

* * *

"Here are the results of the tox screen," Simpson handed the print to Jacobs, who then passed it onto Magnani. "Nothing in his system that could have caused him to lose consciousness."

Jacobs sighed. "I was counting on some kind of drug, but maybe that was because of Steve."

"His only known connection to Steve is that they're both agents," Magnani said.

"But isn't that a strong connection?" she asked. "I mean, Shelby is not the kind of town where you'd think there were multiple agents, yet, Harve was killed there and Steve attacked here in Snow Hill. Anita first came here as an agent. And we had the other two."

Simpson nodded. "Garcia and Gottlieb. Yeah, and what about Curt? He keeps showing up."

"Like there was a beehive of spies hidden among the citizens."

"You mean Lorelei's grandparents?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we have the mystery of our very own agent to solve, so, let's get to it." They were waiting for whatever medical records there were available for Les Colombo.

"I can't sit around here all day waiting." Jacobs stood. "I'm going to go all over his body looking for a wound. We have a patient to examine."


	67. Chapter 67

Some more connections are made

 **Chapter 67**

Anita was worried about Les Colombo, especially after Simpson's questions about him. A name from the past. She was surprised Curt didn't know him. Or did he? He actually hadn't said. Steve was too new to the Bureau, wasn't he?

If Les wasn't in Shelby investigating Harve's death, why was he there? There was always the off chance he was investigating Curt. Or Steve. She glanced at the two of them, talking football of all things. Guys.

Sure, she watched games with Remy, but they never talked about them the way guys did.

She wished she could leave the two of them alone, but she had to be there when Steve remembered what had happened to him, if he ever did. Maybe she could take Curt along with her when she went to see Les.

"Curt, wanna come with me to check on how Les Caruso is doing?"

Curt glanced at Steve. "We'll be back. Maybe if you have time alone, you'll remember something more."

"When we come back," Anita said, "I hope you'll tell us why you drugged yourself."

They left Steve to mull that over, then headed for the patient room the team used. Les was still unconscious. Jacobs was examining his head. "No head injury," she said.

"Has he woken up at all?" Anita asked.

Jacobs shook her head. "Can either of you reach out to the people you know at the Bureau and find out what he was doing in Shelby?"

"Yeah, I plan to," Anita replied. "But that may not help determine what happened to him."

Curt stepped closer to the bed. "What exactly did he say to Dr. Cameron before he collapsed?"

"Something general. 'Please, help me' or something like that."

"So he was aware he was either ill or injured."

"But we haven't been able to find any injury, nor can we find something wrong with him."

Anita's eyes went wide. "No pinpricks anywhere?"

Jacobs shook her head. "And no toxins or even unusual substances in his blood or urine."

"Has to be something."

* * *

Cameron arrived at the clinic the same time as Toenail Lady, as House called her.

"Oh, Dr. Cameron. I'm glad you're here. You will appear at the hearing next week, won't you?" she said.

Cameron turned the knob to open the door to enter. "Mrs. Carson, I've received the notice to appear, so I'll be there, but you have to know I'm convinced you had that fungus before you went to the salon, and they refused to give you a pedicure." Cameron wondered if she was doing the right thing telling the woman that.

"Well, I never…" Mrs. Carson turned and walked away in a huff.

Cameron shook her head and entered the waiting room. Only one man sat reading something on his cellphone. She turned to the desk. "Hi, Carol." Cameron hung her coat on the rack in the corner. "Is Dr. Hadley in with a patient?" She pointed to the door.

Carol smiled. "Yes she is, but glad you're back. We've had a non-stop flow of patients since about ten o'clock. I don't think she's taken a lunch break yet."

A minute later, Hadley emerged with a patient, probably the wife of the man, since they left together. "You've made a name for yourself in the area. Those people are from the next town north of here. The woman was retaining water in her legs. I referred her to a House. He can check her kidneys and heart better than you could here."

Cameron nodded. "Good call. Why don't you go get lunch. I can take over from here. And, thanks."

"Anytime." Hadley smiled. "I sometimes think my medical skills are wasted shepherding the team."

"I spoke to them before I left the hospital. I'm glad they're the ones working on the patient who collapsed here the other day."

"I spoke to them too, a little while ago. Sounds like the man's another government agent," Hadley said. "Anita knows him, too."

"I wonder why he was here."

Hadley nodded. "So do I. After I get some lunch, I'll swing by the hospital, see if my team needs me." She laughed.

"I'm sure you keep them focused. Thanks again."

* * *

House arrived at his office to find the waiting room empty as usual. He'd notified Naomi he wouldn't be in until late in the afternoon.

"We had a patient, referred by Dr. Hadley. Guess she was handling the clinic while Dr. Cameron was away." She handed him the slim file she'd prepared for the woman based on the forms she'd filled outand the referral from Hadley. "Told her to come back around four."

House checked his watch. He'd have fifteen minutes to revue the file. It seemed to be the usual case of water retention in the ankles and legs. As an internest, Hadley should have treated her, but the clinic wasn't as equipped as his office and lab. Several kinds of tests, including an EEG, would help him pinpoint the underlying problem.

The patient, named Celia Riordan, arrived five minutes early, no doubt anxious to find out what House could tell her. He let her wait until her appointment time.

He did a cursory exam. She was younger than he thought, since he hadn't bothered to look at her birth date. Maybe late twenties. He squeezed her ankles. "This kind of fluid buildup is sometimes caused by kidney disease, pulmonary or cardiac problems, or too much salt in your diet."

"Oh, I limit my salt intake."

He nodded. "Your blood pressure is good. We'll do some blood tests and an EEG." He took some blood and sent the sample and the patient to his lab with a list of the tests he wanted, telling the patient to make an appointment for a followup in three days. By then House would have the results of the tests. He turned on his computer and refreshed his memory of conditions that caused swelling of the ankles and legs. Then he sat back, hands behind his head and smiled.

* * *

Wilson's patient was recovering from surgery. "Thanks," he told Wilson. "If it hadn't been for you, I might not be here right now."

"It wasn't exactly a matter of life and death. More a matter of how well your mind worked."

"Some people never thought it worked at all." The man grinned. "I'm sure my insurance will pay for all my care here, but if you ever need anything from me, I'll give you a card with a direct phone number and email. They're in my pants wherever those are."

Wilson chuckled. "They're safe and sound in a locked cabinet. You can give it to me when you're discharged from the hospital. No headaches?"

"No. It's a little itchy here." He pointed to a spot on his scalp.

Wilson nodded. "That's a good sign that your incision is healing. I'll ask the nurse to apply an anti-inch cream that won't interfere with the skin setting."

* * *

Hadley finally arrived at the hospital and went to look for her team. The conference room was empty, so she next tried the patient's room. Anita and Curt were there. She took one look at the patient, though, and blurted, "Les? The patient is Les Colombo?"

Anita turned to her. "You know him?"

She didn't know what to say. Tell her lover that he'd been there first? Say he was just an old friend, that she barely knew him, that she wasn't even sure he was the same man? After the way she said his name? "You could say that."

Anita's eyes narrowed to slits. She nodded slightly, then turned back to Les. "Isn't there anything you can do to wake him up?"

"If we force him to full consciousness, it might be harmful," Jacobs replied. "We don't know what we're dealing with here. A disease, although that's unlikely since his white blood count is in the normal range. Poisoning or drugging? Not likely since his tox screen came back negative. A brain injury? There's no outward evidence but the scans may reveal something hidden."

"Anita, you don't have to wait for him to wake up," Hadley said. "As soon as he does, I'll buzz you."

Anita and Curt left with that promise.

The team's patient stirred ten minutes later.

Jacobs was the closest to him. "Mr. Colombo, this is Dr. Jacobs at Snow Hill Mercy Hospital. Can you tell me what happened before you went to the clinic in Snow Hill?"

"Oohhhh!" he moaned.

"Where does it hurt?" Magnani asked.

He clutched his chest just above his stomach.

Immediately, Magnani placed his stethoscope on the man's heart. "Heather, help me lift him so I can listen to his back."

But his heart and lungs sounded fine.

"The only other thing it could be is a kind of heartburn, but that wouldn't cause him to lose consciousness."

"Should I let Anita and Curt know he's awake?" Simpson asked.

"Anita Morrow? And Curt Sawyer, of course. I knew he was mixed up in the mess in Shelby." He looked at the three young doctors.

"Why were you here, Les?" Hadley pushed away from the wall and moved out of the shadows cast by the dim lights just as Jacobs turned them up.

"Remy?" Les' mouth fell open. "This just keeps getting better and better."

"Answer my question."

"Fine, as long as I get to asked one or two." He smiled a lopsided smile.

"Agreed," Hadley said.

* * *

Cameron's phone played. She smiled when Anna's name showed. "Hi Anna. What's up?"

"Will you be able to make the meeting tomorrow morning on the theft of the mail-in ballots?"

"What time?" She was already planning how she could attend.

"Nine o'clock," Anna replied. "At the council meeting room."

"I'm not on the council yet," Cameron reminded her.

Anna laughed. "We won't hold that against you. Honestly, I'd love to have your clear-headed take on what we've learned."

"That sounds ominous."

"So you'll come?"

Cameron bit her lip. "Yeah, I think I can arrange to be there, although I hate to leave the clinic without coverage. Dr. Hadley took over for me for today. I can't ask her again."

"I'm sure there's a story behind that," Anna said. You'll think of something. It shouldn't take long, although you how that goes. Or will."

Cameron hung up wondering who to ask.

* * *

House had a steady stream of patients in the late afternoon. Two were men who wouldn't go to the clinic since they were wary of women doctors. House told them both, "I can assure you, Dr. Cameron is a well-trained and professional doctor. Let's see what's wrong."

Neither had a serious condition, but they were both at an age when prostate issues were natural. House prescribed medication in one case and in the other told the man, "It's nothing. Don't worry. You're just getting old."

The other patients had an assortment of ailments from bronchitis to arthritis, loss of hearing due to a build-up of fluid in her ears to stomach aches due to irritable bowel syndrome.

He easily diagnosed every case, then sat back and twiddled his thumbs until the next one appeared. He needed a case that he could use his diagnostic puzzle-solving skills.

* * *

"You ever work with Les Colombo?" Anita asked Steve.

"Les Colombo? Is that who you were talking about before?"

She nodded. "Do you know him?"

"Sure." He chuckled and shook his head. "Boy, does that name bring back memories. He was in army intelligence with me before I joined the agency."

Her eyes went wide. "I didn't know you were."

"Yeah, but not for long. Wasn't a good fit for me. I heard he left six months after me. What's he doing here?" Steve asked.

"That's what we have to find out, while his doctors find out why he collapsed."

"He better have the best."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying most doctors won't be able to diagnose him."

"What do you know about it?"

Steve glanced at Curt. "Come closer." When I did, he went on. "Curt must have poisoned him."

"He didn't even know Curt was here and vice versa. Considering you drugged yourself, how can you say someone else caused Les' collapse?"

"You're right. But I'm not sure Curt didn't attack me after all."

Her eyebrows rose. "You remembered something?" Her voice was a whisper. No sense letting Curt in on this.


	68. Chapter 68

Will a few questions be answered? Or will we have even more?

 **Chapter 68.**

Before he left the hospital for the night, Wilson looked in on his patient. The senator was resting comfortably.

"We may be able to discharge you tomorrow. At the latest, the day after." Wilson realized that was Saturday, the day of House and Cameron's party. But the housewarming was in the evening, nothing to keep him from a brief visit to the hospital in the morning to sign papers for his patient.

"The sooner I get out of here the better, not that the accommodations have been bad. There's just so much for me to get back to." He'd been on his phone a lot, but hadn't asked for the use of a laptop yet.

"I understand. I'm glad we were able to treat you. You should make a complete recovery." But something had been bothering Wilson. "Why did you pick this hospital? I can see you wouldn't want anyone to know about this, but there are hospitals closer to D.C. that would protect your privacy."

"The truth is, I knew Dr. Meisner. He treated my wife ages ago, and I've kept up with his career."

Wilson accepted that but still had reservations. "You must know many doctors."

"Not that many." He pressed his lips together as if he was considering something. "How long have you been at Snow Hill Mercy?"

It was a strange enough question Wilson paused before answering. "Actually, only three months." In many ways it felt like years, but that was because of House and the others who he knew before, as well as Jessica. "I practiced in New Jersey for several years before this."

The senator nodded. "I understand a federal agent was brought in earlier today." His brows drew together.

The conversation was taking a decidedly odd direction. Should Wilson reveal two of them were being treated at the hospital? "Who told you that?"

He shrugged. "I heard two nurses talking."

"I can't divulge anything about any other patients, just as I'm keeping your surgery here secret. Especially members of government agencies." Wilson forced a smile. "You can understand that."

"Oh, of course. I was just passing the time." He sounded like he wanted Wilson to stay and chat, keep him company. Aside from two secret service guards, who'd been circumspect about their movements, the senator hadn't had any visitors.

"I'm going to have to leave. Have a good night." Noticing the man's displeasure he added, "I'll be by in the morning." Wilson made a quick getaway.

* * *

At dinner that evening, the team reported their progress, or lack thereof, with Les Colombo. "We still don't know why he collapsed at the clinic," Jacobs said.

Cameron shrugged. "At least you know who he is now."

"Were you able to get his medical history?" Wilson asked.

"Only the basics. Clean as a whistle," Magnani replied.

"Need some help with the case?" House asked.

"Bored much?" Cameron smirked.

He frowned. "Frankly, private practice isn't what I thought it would be."

"It's probably exactly what you thought. Now you have time to butt your nose into everyone else's cases."

He turned to Wilson. "Speaking of which, how is your VIP doing?"

Wilson smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know, as well as who he is? Not gonna happen."

"If you're looking for a change of pace, you can cover the clinic tomorrow morning while I attend my first council meeting," Cameron said.

House tilted his head. "I thought we had to be home for the delivery of the decorations and food for the party. And you haven't been elected yet."

"The delivery is set for lunchtime. I have a feeling from Anna's tone when she called that she's desperate to have me there for some reason. Something about ballot theft."

House worked his mouth, but finally said, "Oh, all right."

She smiled and turned to Jessica. "How's it going with the pooch?"

"We're almost certain Mr. Carruthers is the culprit. The dog shied away from him when he entered the vet clinic, demanding we give his dog back. Bruno's healing quickly, but I think we'll have to involve an animal welfare agency."

"So you're thinking of keeping the dog?" House asked in a non-accusatory voice.

"Is that a problem?" Wilson said. "Don't tell me you're going to evict us because of Bruno."

"No. Not at all. Although, I may have to add on to your rent." House got a wicked look in his eyes, and Wilson and Jessica exchanged glances.

* * *

Anita and Curt had remained at the hospital with Steve, although she did want to go home for the evening. But how could she keep Curt away from Steve? It was easy when they were both staying at House and Cameron's. Now the situation was different. Steve hadn't revealed anymore no matter what happened. The doctor wanted to keep him in the hospital overnight, so the plan to take him to Lori's would have to wait until the next morning.

"Are you two gonna stay here all night, 'cause I'm tired," Steve said.

"Still have my room at the motel." Curt stretched. "That bed is calling me."

Anita hid her smile with a cough. "I'll drive you back there." They'd driven to the hospital together in her car, leaving Curt's at House and Cameron's, so he'd be without means of getting back to the hospital the next day. "I'll pick you up in the morning and we can drive down together. By then Steve should be discharged and we can swing by Lorelei's apartment."

Curt stared at her, but Steve nodded. "Sounds good to me."

She practically forced Curt out and down the hall to the elevators. "I thought you were anxious for your bed at the motel."

Curt looked longingly back toward Steve's room. "Guess he won't remember anything else tonight. Might as well."

But during the night, Steve had a visitor, one he hadn't expected to see.

"You. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Trying to find out what happened to you and why."

* * *

After dinner, House and Cameron drove out to their new home.

"First night without visitors for a while." She got out and unlocked the door.

"And about time, too." House peeled off his leather jacket and hung it on the coat rack in the entryway. "What do you think about the mystery patient turning out to be a former colleague of our growing cadre of government agents?"

Cameron put her bag down and hung her coat. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with him. Whatever's going on, we're both better off not being a part of it."

"But aren't you curious?" he asked.

"Not that curious. I have my own issues to deal with."

He nodded.

"And don't you go snooping, now that you're bored and have the time," she said.

"But, Mom," he whined but with the hint of a smile, making her laugh.

"You'll be busy enough if you cover for me tomorrow morning."

"But now, we can get back to what I'd really like to do for you."

She grinned as he reached out to unbutton her blouse. They started a trail of clothing as they made their way down the hall to the bedroom. Blouses and shirts, pants and shoes, bra and panties and briefs paved the way. They had the whole house to themselves, still their room was the most comfortable.

His fingers followed her curves down past her slim waist to her hips. Her hands did the same, feeling the warmth of the skin under their caress. Lips locked, torsos presses together. Tingles coursed through each of them. His hands slid around to her derriere as he pulled her ever closer.

They entered the bedroom and moved to the bed. Cameron started to fold the bedspread neatly, but House reached over and just pushed it off, onto the floor. They didn't bother with the blanket and sheets, falling on top of them instead. Soon they were lost in each other's scent and taste and feel. When they finally joined, the excitement grew. And when they reached the crest and brought each other over together, they felt a euphoria they never had before.

* * *

"What do we try next with Les?" Simpson asked his teammates. They sat in their living room, beer in hand, winding down from the day.

"He said he was about to enter the diner when a strange sensation made him look around. Luckily, he was near the clinic, but by the time he walked across the alley between, he was barely conscious."

"What could have taken him that quickly?" Jacobs asked.

Rocco waved his beer bottle. "Our tests haven't helped except to rule tons of things out."

"Guess we have to see if anything's changed by morning. That might give us a clue."

They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

Jacobs glanced at Simpson, who frowned. "What's wrong, Bart?" Jacobs asked.

He shrugged. "It's been a couple of days since I've seen Anaya. She hasn't even had lunch with us lately."

"Then call her." Jacobs shrugged. "I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to you."

"Why hasn't she called me?"

"Maybe she's busy," Jacobs said.

Magnani had to get in a dig. "Maybe she's found someone else."

Jacobs playfully swatted his arm. "Rocco, don't tease."

Simpson pulled in a breath then let it out. "Okay, I'll call her." He took out his phone and punched in her number.

She picked up after one ring. "Bart?"

"Yeah. Hadn't talked to you for a while."

"They're running me ragged in Pediatrics. Can't even take a long enough lunch hour to go down to the cafeteria. We're short two pediatricians and inundated with cases."

"I'd offer to help out, but we have a tricky case we have to diagnose," he said. "Maybe tomorrow I can bring lunch to you and we can eat together." He pictured her pretty face.

"I'd like that."

"And we're still on for Saturday?" he asked. "The housewarming?"

"I'm looking forward to it."

Simpson ended the call, looking decidedly happier.

* * *

Hadley was binge watching House, M.D. when Anita arrived home. She smiled when she saw her partner and turned off the TV. "How's Steve?"

"Still hasn't gotten his memory back. But he should be discharged tomorrow, and we can take him to Lori's place. Maybe that'll job his brain."

"Jacobs said you visited the team's patient today."

"Turns out both Curt and Steve know Les."

Hadley bit her lip.

"What?"

She took a breath and let it out. "So did I."

Anita blinked. "You knew Les Colombo?"

Hadley grimaced but nodded.

Anita scratched her ear. "Fancy that."

"You knew I'd had relationships with both men and women before you."

Anita guffawed. "Yeah."

"Okay, my turn to say, 'what?',"

"Me too." Anita admitted.

They both laughed.

Anita sobered. "That still doesn't tell us what he was doing in Shelby."

"No, nor why he lost consciousness," the doctor in Hadley said.

"I wonder what he'll think about the two of us being together."

They both grinned.

* * *

The floor below, Wilson and Jess were playing with Bruno, tossing a rubber bone as far as they could in the small room, and watching him bring it back. "He seems much happier here than he's been whenever his owners are near," she said. "You wouldn't believe the ruckus when Mr. Carruthers came into the clinic today.

"We can't keep him, you know," Wilson warned.

Jessica pulled the dog close. "Why not? House has no objection to a dog on the premises. Dr. Carter and I called Animal Humane, they're the nearest organization that looks out for the well-being of dogs and cats. They'll look into what's happened, but likely Bruno will be taken from his owners."

Wilson sighed. "And you want to be his new mother."

She repeated, "Why not? You like him, don't you?"

"Sure. I think he's great."

"So?"

"So, wait until you hear what Animal Humane has to say and then we'll decide." He scratched Bruno between the ears and the dog looked at him with big brown eyes, as if to say, 'please'. Wilson scratched him again.

Jessica watched the two of them with a big grin on her face.


	69. Chapter 69

As Magnani warns Jacobs not to say, curioser and curioser.

 **Chapter 69.**

Early the next morning, Anita and Hadley entered the diner to find House and Cameron already in the booth, and Curt at the counter.

"Guess my team isn't getting an early start today," Hadley said. "But the two of you haven't been joining us for breakfast lately."

Cameron smiled. "I have to be at the town meeting by ten."

"What's with Curt?" House asked.

"Should we invite him over?" Hadley asked.

Anita shook her head. "Only if you want to start the day off on a bad note. I'll have to spend another day with him, collecting Steve and driving to Lorelei's apartment."

"You don't sound happy about it."

"Only about the possibility Steve will regain his memory. You've spent time with Curt now, would you want to spend more, cooped up in a car?"

House understood. "And he won't let you take Steve without him."

Anita's voice and expression grew more annoyed."Of course not."

The arrival of the team broke the tension she'd created. Magnani rubbed his hands together before he sat. "Ready to start another day of determining what's wrong with our enigmatic agent."

"Enigmatic how?" Cameron asked.

Simpson smiled wryly. "He's not talking about why he was in Shelby, whether he was just passing through or had a specific purpose in mind."

Jacobs focused on Anita and Hadley. "You both seem to know him. What can you tell us?"

The two women exchanged a glance, and Anita said, "What can I tell you? He's been an agent for about ten years. Well-liked."

Hadley snickered, and Anita rolled her eyes.

"Would he be investigating the same thing as Steve and Curt?" Simpson asked.

"That's one possibility." Out of the corner of her eye, Anita noticed Curt rising from his stool. Rather than let him join them, she said, "I'm off," and walked towards him.

He grimaced.

"Ready?" she asked.

A quick nod. They walked to the door together. "You've developed a life for yourself in this provincial town, haven't you?" he asked as they went through the door.

She led the way to her car and they got in. "Provincial? Shelby's as cosmopolitan as places you've lived. I like it here. Yes, I've settled down here, have a good job, a good relationship, and good friends. What more would I want?"

"Don't you miss the adventure?"

"Curt, I've seen more action in Shelby than I did on half of the cases we worked together. Things happen here all the time. You know about the factory and lab, and about Lorelei's grandparents' murder. But those just scratch the surface of what's going on." She smiled, as much to herself as at him.

He was quiet almost all of the rest of the twenty minute drive. She was entering the parking garage at the hospital when he said, "Let's get Steve and be on our way."

* * *

After breakfast the rest of the gang split up. Wilson and Jessica had never arrived, which was puzzling, but not unheard of. "Perhaps Wilson made her his famous omelet," Cameron suggested.

She drove to the center of Shelby and parked on a side street near the town hall. Anna waited for her in front of the doors. "Did they find out who stole the ballots?" Cameron asked.

Anna nodded, led the way inside and walked to the council meeting room. It was almost full. The only empty seats at the large table weren't together, but Cameron sat next to Pamela and Anna near the newspaper editor, Stephen Patton. He frowned when he noticed Cameron. Owen Marshall called the meeting to order, but it was Chief Anderson who spoke.

"We examined the room where the ballots were kept, as well as the windowsill on both the inside and outside. As many of you know, the culprit is suspected of entering through the window. We found several partial prints and two short hairs." Anderson's gaze went around the room.

A few people squirmed in their seats, Patton and Arnie Clark, the town clerk. Anderson focused on them. "I will require you all to provide your fingerprints so we can compare them. Just a precaution, you understand."

Cameron smiled at the way Anderson was presenting his information.

Pamela raised her hand, and Owen recognized her. She rose. "We now have the replacement absentee ballots and can count them with those cast on Tuesday."

Arnie smiled and nodded, but Patton frowned. Cameron didn't have to be a detective to understand what that meant. She wondered if he realized he was giving himself away.

"Good news," Sal DiMonaco said, and several others concurred. "You can start with me, Chief." Sal walked around the table to where Anderson sat and held up his hands. Anderson smiled at him.

* * *

House entered the clinic to find Carol was expecting him.

"Dr. Cameron texted me earlier. Glad you can cover for her." With her chin, she indicated the five people waiting.

House rubbed his hands together, smiled and said, "Who's first?"

But it wasn't what he expected either. A woman with a sprained wrist, a man with bunions, and two kids with bronchitis brought in by their father. He persevered through the morning, but sighed and grinned when Cameron finally arrived.

"Thank goodness. It was just like those hours I spent in the clinic at PPTH."

She put her hands on her hips and smirked. "If you spent more than thirty or forty in ten years, I'd be very much surprised. We did your clinic hours whenever you could send us."

"Nevertheless, that's what it was like."

"Because it is a clinic, even has that in its name. C'mon, there's no one in the waiting room right now. Let's close until after we've received the food and decorations at the house."

"Happy to oblige."

They walked through the waiting room, and Cameron told Carol the plan then headed out to their new home.

"What happened at the meeting?"

"I'll tell you on the way."

* * *

The team's patient was gasping for breath when they arrived. A nurse had just brought in a breathing machine and was setting up a respirator.

"When did this start?" Magnani asked, as Jacobs confirmed Les's temperature and blood pressure.

"About ten, fifteen minutes ago we were alerted to a low blood oxygen level." With the doctors there, she left.

"What could have caused that?"

"He could have stopped breathing for a while," Simpson said. "We never did an overnight test. He might have sleep apnea."

"But that wouldn't cause him to collapse the way he did the other day, would it?"

"No." Jacobs grimaced.

Steadily, the O2 sat rose toward the target level of 95.

Magnani stepped back, his gaze still on the patient. "If you say curioser and curioser one more time, I'll scream."

Jacobs laughed. "Now, why would I say that?"

"Because it's true," Simpson said. He laughed too. "This is the most bizarre case we've had."

The patient opened his eyes. "Why am I hooked up like this?" he asked through his face mask. He pushed it off. "And why are you all looking like that?"

"Mr. Colombo, have you ever been diagnosed with sleep apnea?" Jacobs asked.

"No, why?"

"Because you stopped breathing a while ago." She pointed to the machines. "We had to help you start again."

His eyes narrowed. "That's never happened to me before."

"I didn't think so." Simpson stepped closer. "Why were you in Shelby?"

"We're not in Shelby anymore, are we?"

"Stop avoiding answering our question. You said you'd stopped at the diner then felt ill so you stumbled over to the clinic."

"Yeah, something like that." Colombo licked his lips.

"What does that mean? Is that what happened or not?"

He sighed. "Okay, say it's true."

Magnani chuckled. "If we needed proof he worked for the government, the way he can't give a definitive answer proves it."

"Anita may be the only agent we've met who doesn't bother to hide the truth from us."

"Look, I can't go blabbing everything I know. What kind of agent would that make me?"

"Okay, fine. Don't tell us why you were there. Can you say at least whether you met anyone you knew?" Magnani asked.

Colombo hesitated. "No."

"No, you can't tell us, or no, you didn't meet anyone?"

"I didn't meet or even see anyone I know."

"That's better. So you didn't have any interaction with anyone, say, at the diner?"

He shrugged. "Just the waitress."

"Linda."

"If you say so."

"Now I know what they mean about pulling teeth," Simpson said.

Magnani laughed.

"Had you felt sick earlier in the day?"

"No."

* * *

Jessica and Bruno walked into a ruckus in the veterinary office. Mr. and Mrs. Carruthers shouted at Dr. Carter. They had him cornered at one end of the waiting room. Bruno joined the fracas by barking and charging the three humans.

"Get back here, Bruno." Jess pulled on his leash. He strained against it until Mr. Carruthers reached for him. Then the dog raced back to Jess, who picked him up and turned her body to protect him. "What's going on here?" As if she didn't know.

"What are you doing with our dog?" Carruthers roared.

She had enough of the idiot. "Helping him heal from your mistreatment."

"Me?" He pointed to himself. "You're saying I mistreated my dog? What gives you the right to question how I treat an animal that won't do what we want?"

"And what is it you want?"

"Why, we want to show him. Look at him." Mr. Carruthers pointed. "He's a perfect specimen. But he won't heel, he won't walk the way he should or follow commands. How can I show him?"

Jessica latched onto the word perfect. "You want him to be free of any injuries or damage, don't you? That's what we're trying to do. If you take him before he's had a chance to heal, the judges at any show will notice. Show dogs have to be pampered, not forced to learn tricks.

Mrs. Carruthers nodded as if she were a bobblehead doll. "See, that's what I've been telling you."

* * *

Wilson found his patient fully dressed and sitting in a chair, his foot tapping a tattoo. "I'll need to check you out before you can go. Back into bed."

The senator grimaced but followed the doctor's orders.

His vitals were fine. The place on his scalp where Wilson made an incision, was healing quickly, testifying to his overall good health.

"Two more things for me to check before I can sign your release papers."

The senator's grimace deepened. "Will this be quick?"

"Got a golf date in D.C.?" Wilson smirked.

The grimace became a deep frown. "I have an important meeting today, and not to play golf."

"Right." Wilson wondered if he thought the government couldn't run without him. He'd met too many politicians with that mindset. "Won't take long, but you do realize, if I find something, you'll have to stay another night."

After a pause, the senator said, "Perhaps you can transfer me to another hospital."

"What's the matter with Snow Hill Mercy?" Wilson squinted. "I thought you liked it here."

"Just finish your tests."

"All right, all right. First, follow my finger." Wilson held the digit in front of his face then moved it right.

The senator turned his head.

"No, I mean, let your eyes follow." He repeated the motion, but this time to the left.

The senator's pupils remained focused on Wilson's nose.

"Now." The finger moved right.

That time the pupils followed.

"Good," Wilson said. "The second test is more active. Hop down from the bed and face me." He waited for the senator to be in position. "Now, face the window."

As he turned the senator lost his balance.

Wilson supported him as he regained it.

"You're not keeping me here because I tripped," the senator declared.

"You still have internal swelling that's affecting your balance and vision." Wilson shook his head. "One more night should do it."

"But I need to leave now," the senator insisted.

Wilson put his hands on his hips the way Cameron sometimes did. "What's so vital that you have to leave before you fully recovered?"

"Everything. The future of this country, of the world is on the line." He took a deep breath. "I can't tell you details, but I can tell you it's a matter of national security."

Wilson nodded slowly. "And you can't do whatever you need to from your hospital bed?"

"If I'm signed into the hospital internet, the call won't be secure, but here I can't get through on my own phone."

Wilson thought about that for a moment. "What if you're outside?"

"You mean the entrance to the hospital?"

"There's an outdoor garden, rarely used. Maybe you can call from there."

"I can give it a try." The senator picked up his cellphone and followed Wilson out, stopping to let his secret servicemen know where he was going. But when they reached the door to the Garden and opened it, someone waited with a gun.


	70. Chapter 70

I'm going to a two-day writer's conference next weekend, so I'm not sure I'll have another chapter for you great folks.

 **Chapter 70.**

"Agent Colombo." The senator didn't miss a step as he walked into the Garden. "I expected… um, well, yes."

Wilson squinted at the man facing his patient with a gun.

"Senator." Colombo inclined his head, lowered his gun, but didn't put it away. "You look like you're doing well."

"Agent, hand me the gun," one of the guards asked.

"It's not loaded. I took it off Curt Sawyer yesterday, but he didn't even notice." He turned toward a bench. "Mind if I sit? I haven't been feeling all that well." Colombo promptly crumbled onto the nearest bench. He closed his eyes then opened them again. "Don't know what he gave me. Comes in spurts."

"You're the man Hadley's team is diagnosing," Wilson said with awe in his voice. "Who gave you something?"

"Sawyer, who else? In return, I lifted his gun and took out the bullets." He sighed. "He never even noticed."

"What are you doing in the Garden?" Wilson asked. "We should get you back to bed. How come whatever he dosed you with didn't show up on the tox screen?" Wilson scratched his head.

"One of many questions about Agent Sawyer." Les smiled wryly.

Wilson nodded. "Yes, that's what Anita says."

"Some things he does are so dumb and others are sneaky."

The senator grimaced then cleared his throat. "This is all very interesting, spy stuff and all that, but I'm supposed to be out here for a breath of fresh air."

"And we'll leave you to it. Come on, agent, let me help you back to your room." Wilson shepherded the stray patient out of the Garden, leaving the senator alone with his two guards.

* * *

House drove out to their new home, waiting impatiently for Cameron to spill.

Finally, as they turned onto Harbor Road, she said, "It was all very strange. Two of the council members acted skittish when Anderson asked for everyone's fingerprints."

"Let me guess. Stephen Patton and Sal?"

"You got one right. Patton and the town clerk, Arnie Clark."

House raised one eyebrow. "Clark? I don't really know him."

"No one does. He keeps a low profile." She smiled. "Anyway, when Anderson said this was only to match against the partials they got from the box and that one ballot that got away, they both relaxed."

"So, they didn't want him looking into their backgrounds, but they weren't the ones who stole the ballots."

She nodded. "Anderson and I agree with you. He collected everyone's prints and left. The election will go on as planned on Tuesday, since they have all of the absentee ballots they're going to get. But they still don't know who took the first ones."

They reached the house moments before the caterers, who showed up in a large refrigerated truck. "Where do you want the food?"

Cameron showed them to the kitchen and pointed to the refrigerator. It had French doors and a freezer on the bottom. "These are almost empty. Stick as much as you can in them." She smiled. "If there's anything that doesn't fit, we have another freezer in the laundry room."

As they unloaded, House had to peek at almost everything. "Hope no-one comes, so we have tons of leftovers."

Cameron had to shake her head at him. The caterers were about halfway done when the decorator, a short and chubby woman with beet red hair, arrived with two huge boxes of signs, streamers, paper plates and plastic cutlery. Cameron helped her set everything up.

"I'll come in the morning for any finishing touches." She smiled. "Hope you have lots of trash bags. Parties like this, you need 'em. Toodles."

* * *

Mr. Carruthers finally calmed down he left with a warning. "One more day. If you don't release Bruno after that, I'll have the authorities on you."

Little did he know that the reverse was also true. Jessica and Dr. Carter hoped to have Animal Humane or some other agency investigating Mr. Carruthers treatment of his dog by the next day.

Once he left with his wife trailing behind, Jess took Bruno to the pen where he'd spent the previous day in moderate comfort. "It's going to be okay, Bruno. We'll take good care of you."

She called the branch of Animal Humane she'd talked to before to update them on the Carruthers' threat.

The woman she spoke to took the information but couldn't promise how quickly they could act. "We need to investigate, check whether these people have had charges against them before or even a history of abuse. We also have to find out who sold Bruno to them."

Jess bit her lip. "Carruthers may have had ample time to get rid of anything that shows his brutality."

"We'll also visit the vet clinic and look at the dog. Don't worry. He won't go back into a dangerous situation."

That was enough to make Jessica worry. But later in the day, a woman, possibly not out of her teens, arrived. "I'm Jill. Here to check out the pup you think might have been abused."

Jessica led her to the back of the clinic where Bruno played with a rawhide bone, trying to bury it in the hardwood floor. Jess took him out of the pen and brought him to Jill. In a soothing tone she said, "Bruno, this is Jill and she's a friend. She just wants to hold you."

Bruno sniffed at Jill's outstretched but fisted hand then studied her, as she examined him.

"I see the injuries you mean."

"Mrs. Carruthers brought him in multiple times, each time with fresh injuries. Since he's been here, though, he hasn't suffered any."

Jill nodded.

"Mr. Carruthers told us he intends to show Bruno. His training methods might be at fault, although, not having watched him, I don't know for certain."

"He's not harming himself, of course." Jill, despite her young age, was skillful in handling the dog. She smiled at Jess. "I'm studying to be a vet too." She put Bruno back in the pen. "I'll have to visit the Carruthers home and talk to the couple. We'll let you know what we find. Do you have a way to place dogs?"

"He's been coming home with me each night. We wouldn't mind adopting him ourselves."

* * *

Jacobs picked up her phone and called Hadley. "Boss, you should get here now. Our patient is missing."

In less than a minute, Hadley reached the patient's room. "What happened?"

"We came in to check on him, since he had that low oxygen incident earlier, and he was gone," Jacobs said.

"Couldn't have gone far," Simpson said.

Magnani pointed. "All of the tubes and leads were disconnected. His clothing isn't here either."

"Did you call security?"

"Yes. We searched this floor, but thought we'd call you before we started on the others."

Hadley nodded. "Okay, I'll take the ground floor. Simpson and Magnani, you take the others. Jacobs stay here."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Wilson arrived with the stray patient. "Found this one in the Garden," he said. "You have to keep a better tab on your charges."

"Thanks," Simpson said. "We were just about to send out a search party or two."

The patient looked weak and wobbly as he made his way to the bed. "Sorry. I needed fresh air."

"That's why you had a gun with you?" Wilson asked.

Les smirked. "You never can tell."

Wilson shook his head. "I better get back to my patient. He's had enough fresh air too."

"Tell him I said… no, better not." Les closed his eyes as well as his mouth.

Hadley followed Wilson out. "Les saw your mystery patient?"

"And they knew each other."

Hadley chuckled. "Les seems to know everyone."

Wilson nodded. "Including you."

"And Anita, Steve and Curt." She counted them off on her fingers. "Still doesn't tell us why he was in the area. Was his focus in Shelby or Snow Hill?"

"Isn't he talking?"

"Nope. Well, see you later." She watched Wilson head for the elevators, tempted to follow him, but she thought better of it.

* * *

Anita and Curt arrived to find Steve dressed and ready to go, yet surprised to see them so early. He took a breath and let it out before saying, "The sooner I get out of here the better."

"Thought you had the best of care here," Anita said.

"People roam the halls all day and night."

She chuckled. "So I've heard. Never been hospitalized myself." She thought about what he said. Did he mean besides nurses and orderlies? "Any particular people?"

"Don't mind telling you. Your friend Les Colombo paid me a visit last night. Had to be after ten. Anyway, he asked the same questions the two of you have asked." He smirked. "Couldn't tell him anymore than I told you, either."

Curt headed for the door. "I'll make sure your doctor has signed the release and we'll be on our way."

"What did Les say last night?"

"Besides my incidents, he had a lot of questions about Curt." Steve shut up when Curt returned.

"You're A-OK to go." He'd brought in a wheelchair, and Steve sat in it for the trip out to the car.

The three agents drove the two miles to the apartment complex where Lorelei had lived. Steve's car still sat where he'd left it, but a window had been smashed.

"Oh, no," he said. "What did they take?" He opened the car. The interior light didn't come on. "Battery must be dead, but why?" The glove compartment door hung down. He rummaged inside. "They only took a flashlight."

"Pop the trunk," Anita said.

"There wasn't anything of value in there."

"Yeah, but what's not valuable to you, might be to someone else." Curt was the first to look inside. "What did you have in here?"

"A blanket, a few cloth grocery bags." Steve shook his head. "Nothing else."

"They're gone." Anita slammed the trunk lid down. "When Hadley and I were here, the car hadn't been touched. That was only a week, at most ten days ago."

"Guess I can file an insurance claim." Steve frowned. "I'll have to have the battery charged too."

"Well, let's go up to the apartment."

As the elevator took them to the third floor, Anita said, "Wonder if they've already rented the apartment."

"Bet they have." Curt led the way down the hall and rang the bell on Lorelei's former apartment.

"Does any of this bring back a memory?" Anita asked Steve.

He shook his head.

* * *

House approached the Hanbury Street house from his parking spot halfway down the street. He climbed the steps deep in thought. How did he get to this point, owner of two properties, master of his own medical practice, a relationship with Cameron that seemed solid and a growing group of friends?

He entered the offices, noted Naomi behind her desk and an empty waiting room. Have to do something to draw in patients, he thought. "Any calls?"

"No, but Mr. Mortimer has lab tests for you to review, and we've received a package I put on your desk."

"Tell Mortimer he can bring his results in half an hour." It would take two minutes to open the package, but he wanted to make a phone call before he reviewed the labs.

The package didn't have a return address. It wasn't in one of those Amazon boxes that arrived almost every day containing items he'd ordered for the office. Just plain brown paper wrapping a squarish cardboard box.

House took out scissors and attacked the package, suddenly curious about the contents. With the paper removed, he opened the box to find a larger version of the ball he kept on his desk for use when he had to puzzle over a particularly vexing case. Same orange and gray colors, same feel. He smiled, looked for a card, but found none.

He'd have to question Cameron and Wilson. One of them must have sent it. If not them, then who?

* * *

Cameron walked into a waiting room filled with patients.

Carol shrugged. "I told them I didn't know when you'd arrive, but most of them decided to wait."

"Let me take off my jacket and put on my lab coat. Who's first?"

"Mrs. Carruthers has been here the longest."

Cameron glanced at the woman. She didn't remember her, but the name seemed somehow familiar. "Send her to me in five minutes." She went into the exam room, prepared it for a patient and slipped on a clean white coat.

Mrs. Carruthers hesitated at the door, but Cameron beckoned her to come in and explain her problem.

"I… uh, I, um, fell against the dining room table. Can't stop the bleeding."

Cameron removed a wad of tissues, soaked in blood, that Mrs. Carruthers held against her shoulder. The skin underneath was broken. What kind of table would make that shape wound, she wondered. "When did this happen?"

"About noon today. Slipped and fell, that's what happened. But I wouldn't have come here except the bleeding wouldn't stop."

Cameron nodded slightly. She'd finally placed the name. Mrs. Carruthers was injured just as her dog had been.


	71. Chapter 71

I apologize for not posting this on Monday evening, but other commitments got in the way. Just for that, it's a bit longer than usual.

 **Chapter 71.**

Anita entered Lorelei's apartment with Steve and Curt. The teen might have broken her lease by then, since she stayed in Princeton. Something for Anita to check, but no one was living there, judging by the ransacked furniture.

She surveyed the destruction and turned to Curt. "Was it like this when you found Steve?"

Curt's mouth hung open, and he stared and shook his head. "This is insane."

Steve squinted at every inch of the studio apartment. "I… "He rubbed his brow.

"Where was Steve when you found him?" Anita asked.

"Over here." Curt walked to the couch, pillows torn and stuffing pulled out. "Not on the couch, but on the floor near it. About here." He pointed down.

Anita took three steps back toward the door to checked if someone walking in would see him. "Where was the coffee table?" It was turned over and one leg broken off. "Such fury and anger," she muttered.

Curt closed his eyes as if to picture what the room had looked like. "About where Steve is now."

"So, between the door and where Steve was lying. You must have walked in to about where you are now to be able to see him."

Curt shrugged. "I guess so. Is that a problem?"

"No, I was just wondering about logistics." She turned to Steve, who'd been walking around. It hadn't taken long since the apartment was small. "None of this is coming back to you? Do you even remember being here before?"

"No, nothing." He started to right a chair.

"Don't touch it. This is a crime scene, and Snow Hill PD will have to print it." She took out her phone to call it in, giving them her name and Shelby PD badge number.

"Guess this was a waste," Curt said.

"Not in the least," Anita said. "We learned a lot here today. Steve, let's get you back to Shelby. I imagine you're ready for some real food by now."

"You said it."

Curt followed them out with a quick look back over his shoulder and a frown.

* * *

Wilson collected the senator and his entourage from the Garden and returned him to his room. "Feeling better after that breath of fresh air?"

"Yes. Say, you wouldn't happen to know what happened to that agent who was here, would you?"

"You mean Les Colombo?" Wilson asked.

"No, no. The other one." The senator frowned.

"Steve?" Wilson's eyes narrowed. "How did you know about Steve Holder?"

"I know many agents, Doctor Wilson. Where is he?" The senator couldn't hide his intense interest.

Wilson studied him. "Likely gone. His doctor planned to discharge him this morning, and two other agents, who you may or may not know, hoped to take him to view the place where he was attacked a week or so ago."

The senator's eyes went wide and his breathing quickened.

"Senator? Perhaps we should get you back in bed." Wilson motioned for the guards to help him get the Senator off his feet.

"Now, why the sudden interest in Steve?" Wilson pulled up a chair and sat to listen to the senator's response. But the man was tight-lipped, not revealing anything.

* * *

Cameron tended to Mrs. Carruthers but the minute the woman was gone she called Jessica. "Carruthers can't beat the dog while you have him, so he's started in on the wife."

"Oh, no. Poor woman." Jessica sounded sympathetic. "It's another piece to add to the case Animal Humane is making, but that doesn't help her. Any chance she'll report the abuse to the police?"

"I doubt it." Cameron sighed. "Like many woman, she'll think she brought it on. He probably told her she did. It was her fault the dog was with you, so he couldn't beat sense into him. From what you've said, he's frustrated to a point where he'll lash out at anyone. His wife happened to be convenient."

Jess sighed. "I wish we could testify to his abuse if his wife won't and Bruno can't."

"Can you imagine what he might do if Animal Humane deems him abusive and won't let him have Bruno back?" Cameron suddenly thought about the consequences.

"He'll either take that out on Mrs. Carruthers, get another dog, or…" Jessica didn't finish the sentence as she realized she and the veterinary clinic were in danger. "I gotta go and talk to Dr. Carter."

"I've asked Mrs. Carruthers to come back in for a follow-up. We'll see if she does." Cameron went on to her next patient, but her mind was half on the woman's plight.

* * *

The team had stopped in the cafeteria for mid-afternoon coffee. They hadn't gotten any further with a diagnosis of their patient, nothing completely explained all of his problems, but they were far enough along with putting together a treatment plan they felt good about their progress.

"Do you plan to pick up Anaya for the party tomorrow, or is she meeting us there?" Jacobs asked.

"I hadn't really thought about it. Should I? I mean drive down here and get her?"

"Buddy, it's a date isn't it?" Magnani asked. "Pick her up, maybe even bring flowers."

Simpson stared at his friends. Anaya agreed to go to the party, but was it with him or with them all? He hoped she wanted to go with him. "Guess I better go tell her when I'll come for her." He left them to their coffee and headed to Pediatrics.

Jacobs watched him go and chuckled. "He's got it baaaad."

But Anaya wasn't in Pediatrics. Simpson asked the floor nurse where she was.

"You just missed her." The nurse pointed to the elevators. "I think she went to the cafeteria for a cup of tea."

Simpson let out a sigh. He about-faced and returned to the cafe, where he found Anaya in conversation with Jacobs and Magnani.

"Here he is." Jacobs smiled.

"Must have been taking the elevator up while you were coming down. Hi, Anaya."

"Bart." Her dark eyes flashed, and she smiled.

"We've been talking about the arrangements for tomorrow evening." Simpson sat. "I can come get you."

She waved a hand. "Oh, you don't have to."

"But I want to." He gulped. "How about five thirty?"

Anaya's smile became a grin.

* * *

House rolled the ball in his hands, pondering the upcoming weekend. His home would be invaded by all the people they knew. Probably too many people. It would make for some strange combinations and conversations. He smiled. That he could handle. Then they'd be gone, and he and Cameron could get back to their privacy.

Naomi buzzed to alert him there was a patient in the waiting room.

He put the ball down and collected his cane as he stood and strode out to lead her to the exam room. He held the door open for toenail fungus lady. What did she want now?

"Dr. House, I had to see you immediately. The fungus has spread to my hands." She held both up to show him. They were red and raw, but not from any fungus.

He stared at her for almost a minute. "All right, let me see."

She started to climb onto the exam table.

"You'll have to undress first."

"But it's my hands," she whined.

"Don't you want to make sure it hasn't spread to the rest of your body?" He waited for her reaction.

"Oh, do you think it might have?" She seemed to have trouble breathing. "Oh, dear. Oh, dear." She wrung the offending hands but complied with his order to undress down to her bra and panties.

House hid his smile well, since he'd had much practice doing so. "Now, you can sit on the table while I examine you."

He did the eyes, ears, nose and throat exams. Finally, he looked at each hand, palm up and down. He checked under her arms, across her stomach and down each leg. "Get dressed."

"That's it?"

He shrugged. "I have few enough patients. Gotta make the most out of each one." He didn't explain what he meant by that, or that her rash was likely caused by contact with a cleanser.

* * *

The team returned to their patient. His eyes were clearer and skin had better color.

Jacobs smiled at the improvement. "Why were you in the Garden?" She asked, hoping she'd catch him off-guard. It wasn't the only thing she wanted to know, but the most recent, and maybe it would get him talking.

"What do you mean?"

Simpson shrugged. "Wilson said you had a gun. Where'd you get it?"

"I'm a government agent. Of course I have a gun."

"You didn't have it when you arrived here," Magnani said. "It would have been locked away. Where'd you get it?"

"And what were you doing in the Garden?" Jacobs repeated. "With that gun."

"I can't tell you that."

"Can't or won't?"

Colombo's mouth worked. "It's all a matter of national security. All the questions you've been asking. I haven't and CAN'T answer any of them. So stop asking and find out why I collapsed at the clinic in Shelby. You said it wasn't due to the sleep apnea."

Jacobs pressed her lips together for a few seconds. "Okay, you're right. Sleep apnea wouldn't cause you to collapse. You might fall asleep during the day, but not collapse."

"What did cause it?" he asked.

"We still don't know."

Simpson added, "But we're working on it. See, it would help to know where you were just before you entered the clinic. I realize you can't tell me why, but where might help us."

"I thought you knew. I was in the diner and didn't feel well. The waitress sent me to the clinic, since it was so close. How does that help you?"

Magnani's brow furrowed. "What did you eat at the diner?"

"I don't think food poisoning would act this way. I've had food poisoning when I was stationed in the middle east and eastern Europe."

"Mo's never poisoned any of us before, so I doubt that was the problem. Besides, the contents of your digestive system was clear of toxins. Had you just arrived in Shelby?"

"All I can say is I was passing through." He looked from one to another like a prisoner surrounded by interrogators.

"And can't say where you were going." Simpson smirked. "Gotcha. What about where you came from?"

"D.C., of course. Left that morning."

* * *

House and Cameron weren't at dinner that night. Everyone else chalked it up to preparations for the party the next day.

Jess told the others about Mrs. Carruthers visit to Cameron's clinic. "I'm worried about her as much as Bruno now. We can take him out of the situation legally, but what can we do for her?"

"Maybe convince her to report her husband to the police," Hadley suggested.

Magnani shrugged. "Won't that make him even madder?"

Wilson put down his Coke. "More than likely. Gotta convince him that's not the way to handle every situation."

"Yeah, but how?"

None of them had any answers. They each focused on the food Linda delivered with her usual bid to enjoy.

Anita broke the silence. "We took Steve to Lorelei's but still nothing. It was trashed, by the way." She expected him to show up at the diner, with or without Curt, since they were both staying at the motel again. "Someone broke into his car, but he doesn't think they took anything of value."

The team asked whether she found out anything about Les Colombo. "He's not talking other than to say he was passing through Shelby, came in here to eat, and suddenly felt sick," Jacobs said.

Anita nodded. "And we know neither Steve nor Curt were here at the time."

"There has to be a connection. Is he here to check on them?" Magnani wondered aloud.

"He says we don't need to know," Simpson said.

Wilson kept mum about a possible connection to his patient, but had an inkling the senator knew something about one or more of the three agents. Or vice versa.

* * *

On his way home, House picked up ravioli at Sal's, since the Italian restaurant and pizza place was near his new office. He wondered why Wilson and Jess or Hadley and Anita didn't eat there, but shrugged it off.

Cameron was already in the kitchen when he arrived, preparing a salad. "What'd you bring?" she asked when he placed the white styrofoam containers on the counter. "It smells heavenly."

"Cheese ravioli for you and meat for me."

She smiled. "Perfect."

Fragrant steam escaped as he opened the containers. "Your toenail fungus lady was back today, afraid the fungus spread."

"And you told her that was impossible." Cameron chuckled.

"Had fun with her first." A grin stretched across his face. "I finally said, if it had, only the fingernails would be affected. Her hands were red. Most likely contact dermatitis."

"Did you tell her that?" Her eyebrows shot up.

"Nah. Sent her for allergy tests."

"That makes sense."

"If she goes, and I get the results, I'll share them so you know what's going on before the trial."

"I keep forgetting about that, but it's coming up soon. Can't wait until it's over."

"First we have to deal with our party, and then the election."

"After that meeting this week, I'm more anxious than ever to win and to have Will win."


	72. Chapter 72

I apologize again for not posting last Monday evening. I should have warned you I was away for a long weekend and wouldn't have a chapter ready. But finally, here it is:

 **Chapter 72.**

Cameron woke the next morning feeling anxious. She realized it was due to the upcoming party. She couldn't remember the last time she hosted one. Neither House nor she were the type, but she at least wanted to have her friends see the home they'd had built. It would make the fact they owned it more tangible.

The party planner wasn't coming until four thirty, and the caterer wouldn't bring the rest of the food until five. What could they do until then? She turned to House.

The other side of the bed was empty. She pulled on a kimono and followed his voice and savory aromas to the kitchen. Was he singing? The last thing she'd expect him to do on this momentous day was to start out by singing as he prepared breakfast.

But there he stood clad in his silky bathrobe in front of the stove top, scrambling eggs and cooking sausage. The coffeemaker was gurgling its last drips into the pot and four pieces of toast popped out of the toaster. How'd he know she'd be up on time?

She took out two plates and poured steaming coffee into two mugs from the tree standing next to the machine. "What has you so cheerful this morning?"

He turned and grinned at her, a Cheshire cat kind of grin, and she wondered what he had up his sleeves that she didn't know about.

"Uh-oh." She narrowed her eyes. "What are you up to?"

"Let's just say this will be a memorable day in more ways than one." He actually winked.

She wasn't sure if she should wink back.

* * *

Bruno ran from beside Wilson's leg to the door of the apartment, then back again.

"I think he wants to go out," Jessica said.

Wilson stood. "I'll take him." He was already wearing sweats.

"Why don't we both go?" She grabbed her jacket and the leash.

The three of them ambled down the stairs to the side entrance to the house. Just outside, they met an obstacle.

"Morning, Tabby," Jessica smiled at the cat, but she was busy investigating the new addition to the family.

She walked slowly around Bruno while he stood still, watching her, turning so he could keep her in sight as she made her way.

"At least they're not attacking each other." Wilson frowned, expecting the worst.

"No, Tabby is just curious, and Bruno may be too. She's something smaller than he is but she moves."

Tabby meowed and walked away.

"Guess he wasn't interesting enough for her," Wilson said.

"Good. I'd hate to have to keep them apart."

"Or maybe she approved of him."

But there was a bigger obstacle just down the street. Carruthers seemed to be waiting for them. "Well look who's here," Wilson said under his breath.

Bruno barked and pulled back.

"Stay here with the dog," Wilson said handing Jessica the leash. "I'll talk to him." He walked slowly toward Carruthers. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting my dog, obviously." The man rushed toward Wilson.

Wilson held his arms out as if he were a barrier. "No you're not. Now, listen to me. You're going to turn around and march right back to your house, where you will not lay a hand on your wife or we'll bring charges against you."

Carruther's brows lowered. "You can't do that."

"Try me." Wilson pulled his arms in and crossed them. "My friend and neighbor is on the Shelby police force. I'll have her on your case in no time flat."

Carruthers didn't seem to know what to do about that. Finally, he waved a finger at Wilson's face. "I'll sue you for everything you've got if you… if you try anything like that." He stared one long minute more then turned and walked away.

* * *

The team drove to the hospital after breakfast at their house, despite the fact it was Saturday. They still had a patient with an unknown condition. "Besides," said Simpson. "I promised to pick up Anaya for the party." They planned to collect her early, then drive back to Shelby together, stopping at the house so Simpson, Jacobs and Magnani could change clothes.

But their plans soon turned to ashes when their patient developed a puzzling case of aphasia.

Magnani shook his head. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"It's inconsistent with anything else we know about him."

"Unless…" Jacobs pressed her lips together and took off for their conference room.

The two men exchanged puzzled expressions but followed her.

She stared at the whiteboard then ticked off each of the symptoms and incidents. "We've attributed many of his symptoms to his sleep apnea, but don't have a cause for his collapse, and likewise don't have one for this aphasia. We don't know why he was in Shelby or who he expected to meet in the Garden. With a gun."

"My money's on Curt or Steve," Simpson said.

"What about Wilson's patient?"

"We don't know anything about him." Simpson said. "He must be some D.C. bigwig."

Jacobs nodded. "That's why I wonder if our patient knows him."

"We'll have to ask Wilson."

Simpson smiled. "We'd bring Wilson in anyway to help determine if the aphasia is due to a brain tumor."

"Isn't it more likely a stroke?" Magnani asked.

Simpson shrugged. "Or a head injury."

"He doesn't have epilepsy, but what about migraines?" Jacobs asked.

"We'll have to ask him when he's more conscious," Simpson said.

"But if it's that, it's most likely temporary."

"Guess we'll have to talk to him again, see how much he can communicate."

"And schedule a full neurological work-up."

* * *

Hadley and Anita had a leisurely breakfast at the diner. "Why are we the only ones here?" Anita asked, looking around, but then Steve and Curt entered. Since there was room in the booth, and the rest of the diner was full, Anita reluctantly motioned them over.

"Where are your friends?" Curt asked.

"House and Cameron are having a party later, you know, so they must be getting the house ready for guests. I expect neither of you stripped the beds you slept in or cleaned the bathroom."

"We kind of left in a hurry, if you remember," Steve said. He turned to Curt. "We should bring them something to repay them for their hospitality."

"Who said you were invited to the party?" Hadley asked.

"I was under the impression it was an open house for their friends and acquaintances. Since we spent a couple of nights there lately, I guess that includes us."

"I don't think…" Curt began.

"I'm sure if we bring a little something, they won't mind."

Anita squinted at Steve. "Where'd this desire to return to their home come from?"

He shrugged and changed the subject. "What about your other friends?"

"My team decided a short visit to our patient was in order," Hadley said.

"Les?" Steve asked.

"Right."

"Hope he's okay." Steve pressed his lips together. "He's one of the good ones."

"What do you mean by that?" Hadley asked.

"He's a straight shooter. No hidden agenda, know what I mean?" His side glance at Curt wasn't lost on either of the women.

"Then you'll tell us what you know about him."

Steve shrugged. "I thought you knew him."

Hadley pointed to Anita then herself. "We both do. We'd like your take on the man, other than the fact he's a straight shooter."

"Fair enough." Steve scratched the back of his neck. "He was the one who tipped me off about Harve probably being a double agent."

"So he had access to information you didn't."

"If you know Les, you know he likes to have knowledge about everything that's going on around him."

* * *

After breakfast, House and Cameron went from room to room, deciding if any would be off-limits for the party, that is, besides their master suite.

"I'll change the linens in the guest bedrooms Curt and Steve used." Cameron said.

House just nodded and headed to his den where he stretched out in his recliner with his phone. He had a few calls to make to set in motion everything he'd planned.

Cameron found him there half an hour later, sleeping with a big smile on his face. She wondered how he'd top everything he'd done in the past, but she wouldn't have to wait long.

The doorbell rang. The caterer. She shook House. "Upsy daisy. Rise and shine."

"Since when do you use clichés?"

"Did you think you were the only one who could?" She shook her head. "The caterer's here."

A smile spread on his face, and she wondered if it had something to do with what he was planning.

* * *

The team sat in the conference room, going over the results of Les' tests. The data pointed to the cause of his aphasia being either a stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Jacobs tapped a report with her fingernail. "The first would leave him with permanent damage, while a TIA causes temporary problems."

Simpson scratched his head. "Time will tell which it was, but the question I have is what brought a stroke or TIA on?"

"Could he have been drugged?" Magnani asked. "What medication would cause a TIA?"

Jacobs shook her head. "No, not a drug. It's also almost impossible for someone to inject a clot in an artery."

Magnani's eyebrows rose an inch. "Is it?"

"Is there any way to tell?" Jacobs frowned.

"If the clot still exists, we can at least find out if it's his blood type."

"I hadn't thought of that," Simpson admitted.

"Then, let's do that." Jacobs started for the door then stopped. "Bart, you better call Anaya. We're going to be very late."

* * *

Hours later, the invasion of the House-Cameron home began. First to arrive were Wilson and Jessica with a gift picked by Jess over Wilson's objections, a potted plant.

Cameron expressed her pleasure and then both women looked for a place to put the Christmas cactus. Meanwhile, House took Wilson aside. He needed an ally for his plan to be successful.

Next to arrive were Anita and Hadley. "Isn't the team here yet?" Hadley asked House, who shook his head.

"Just us," Jessica said.

"Fair warning. Steve and Curt know about the party and will arrive before long." Anita had been there before and took her partner to see the guest bathroom with it's colorful counter, sink and tile.

Once they'd wandered off, Anna and Enid rang the bell. "You have one of those camera things," their former landlady said. "Do you think I should get one?"

"Maybe for the back door. Few people come to the front of your house."

"But the ones who come to the kitchen door are people I know, so I don't have to screen them." She nodded. "I think I'll get one for the front."

"Good idea. I will too," Anna agreed. "Now show me the inner courtyard you raved about."

Cameron took the two older women off to see the interior garden.

House, Wilson and Jessica remained by the door. They weren't alone for long. All of the Davises, Will, Sharon and Rachel as well as Carol, Seth and baby Bryan, arrived with Sharon's mother in tow.

"Quite wonderful." Pamela's wide eyes and open mouth smile showed her surprise. Then she smirked at House. "I could believe a woman like Allison would choose this kind of exterior and interior design, but you surprise me, Dr. House."

His only response was to point to the kitchen. "Foods in there."

Cameron had returned. "Have something to eat and then I'll give you all a tour."

Slowly but surely, other residents of Shelby arrived. Pete carrying a bunch of flowers that Cameron put in a vase with water. Linda, Chrissy and Mo, who left her kitchen in the hands of her husband. Chief Anderson and two of his men. Phyllis Brewster with her niece. Naomi with her kids. Even House's lab man, Mortimer. The house quickly filled up. Stan Berman and Owen Marshall came together, which was a surprise. They brought their wives along. Everyone exclaimed at the layout of the house, the kitchen with every conceivable appliance and automation.

"Are we late?" Steve asked when he walked through the doorway with Curt.

House just sneered. Cameron had wandered off with a group of folks to show off the house.

And still the team hadn't arrived. "I'm going to call them." Hadley pulled out her phone and wandered off, likely to find a quiet spot if she could. She left Anita talking to her boss and the others from the Shelby PD.

House was pleasantly surprised when Dr. Meisner arrived with Nora and Katherine Lembach. They were followed by other staff from Snow Hill Mercy and additional members of the town council.

House caught Pamela's attention. "Can you take over front door duty for me for a few minutes?"

"Of course." She smiled at him.

He had to find a quiet place, away from the din of voices so he headed for his den to find it occupied by Hadley. Perfect. He could pretend he was looking for her. "What did they say? Aren't they coming?"

"Our patient had a setback and they've been testing him all afternoon, but they'll be here in another forty minutes or so."

"Hope they know there might not be any food left by then."

"Believe me. They're not worried about missing the food."


	73. Chapter 73

We return to the party at House and Cameron's:

Chapter 73.

Cameron wandered through the crowded house, greeting those she hadn't before, stopping to chat with everyone else. House hadn't done anything outrageous yet, but she knew it was coming. Periodically, she caught him whispering in a corner with Wilson. Had his BFF agreed to help him with… whatever?

Pamela called her over to talk about the coming election and the council meeting that had just occurred, and she lost sight of House for a while.

Anna joined them. "This really is a remarkable house. I love the guest bathroom."

"You'll have to talk to my son-in-law about redoing yours," Pamela said. "But it can't be before he does mine."

Anna shook her head. "He might be too busy as our new mayor."

The high school principle joined them. "Dr. Cameron, what a wonderful house."

"Thanks, but the accolades should go to our future mayor."

Berman smiled. "I'm counting on your election and his."

Diane Bancroft came over. "I'm amazed what you've done here. Tried to sell this property several times, but no one had your vision of what was possible."

"You'll have to talk to House and Will about that. Have you seen what they've done with the Hanbury house?"

The real estate agent nodded. "I stopped by the other day. Quite a transformation."

* * *

Anita had had enough of Curt and Steve. She returned to Hadley's side. "No sign of your team yet?"

"No. I wonder if they found something else wrong with Wes." Hadley frowned. "Sleep apnea and a TIA are enough, but I don't remember him showing signs of a sleeping disorder when I knew him."

"I didn't see any either."

"I hope they can get to the bottom of this." Hadley shook her head. "I'm fresh out of ideas."

"They didn't want you to join them, did they?"

Hadley shook her head. "But I feel guilty enjoying these festivities while they're hard at work."

Anita chuckled. "I bet House never did."

Hadley's gaze found him, talking to Anderson, as if they were conspiring. "Always up to something."

* * *

"What are you and House up to?" Jessica asked Wilson after his latest tête-à-tête with House.

"Nothing." His voice was too high, the way it was when he was lying to her.

She let it go, but watched him as he charmed everyone he talked to with his boyish smile and pleasantries.

Dr. Meisner called them over, and she finally met Nora, the woman Wilson had treated a few weeks before.

She smiled at her. "Looks like you're feeling better."

"Yes, thanks to Dr. Wilson." Nora put a hand on his arm. "You must be Jessica, the woman he talks about constantly."

Jess glanced at Wilson. "I'm sure he spoke about other things when he treated you. Glad to meet you under much more festive circumstances."

"I gather you've discharged your latest patient," Dr. Meisner said. "Thank you for treating him."

"I understand why he wanted to remain anonymous." Wilson pursed his lips. "He did run into another patient in the Garden, someone he knew."

Meisner's bushy eyebrows rose.

Wilson nodded. "Luckily, the man's a government agent and swore he wouldn't reveal my patient's identity."

Meisner sighed. "That's good, then."

"I hope so."

* * *

Chrissy, Rachel and Hannah had found House and Cameron's library. The room was lined with overstuffed bookshelves and filled with comfortable looking armchairs.

"I'd love a room like this," Rachel said.

Chrissy shrugged. "Ask your dad to build you one."

"He's too busy building things for other people." Rachel bit her lip. "I don't mind, really. He does stuff for us too, just not lately."

Hannah laughed. "He's too busy running for mayor."

"There is that." Rachel ran her finger from book to book on one shelf. "I'd never be bored here."

"None of us would." Hannah selected a book and sat on one of the armchairs. "You can ask House and Cameron to let you visit. To let _us_." She grinned and opened her book.

Rachel nodded. "I just might."

Soon all three had found a spot to curl up with something to read.

* * *

A large group of folks had congregated in the kitchen, sampling the food the caterer provided. "Leave it to House and Cameron to include foie gras and oysters at an open house," Seth said.

"Bet he 'spects there'll be leftovers." Pete took a canape and looked at it like he'd never seen anything like it before. "What's this one?"

"It's filled with sausage," Naomi replied. "I only know because I saw it on one of those TV cooking shows."

Jacob ran into the room with Sarah trailing behind. "Mama, can we have a soda?"The little girl looked pretty in her favorite blue dress.

Naomi considered then smiled at her children. "Only one each, hear?"

They each took a can from a cooler and scampered off, leaving the adults to talk.

* * *

Steve stood looking out of one of the front windows of the house into the growing twilight. Hadley and Anita approached. Anita was glad Curt wasn't around.

He turned to them. "I don't know why I never noticed when I was here before. You can hear the sea."

Hadley frowned. "Those are double-paned windows. You can't hear anything through them."

He shook his head. "Listen." He cupped his ear.

"That's the furnace, or maybe the water heater coming on," Anita said.

"It is?" He closed his eyes and opened them again. "Wait, you're saying the sound I hear is a furnace or water heater? But it's the sound I heard in Lorelei's apartment. There isn't a heater or water heater there."

Anita shook her head. "That's farther from the sea than this house."

"Could it have been something else?" Hadley asked.

Anita narrowed her eyes. "You mean you remember hearing something like this there?"

"Didn't I say that?" Steve shrugged. "I don't know what I heard."

"But you heard something. Did you hear it again when we took you over there?" she asked.

"Come to think of it, I didn't. What could it have been?"

Anita was suddenly alert. "Was it in the apartment or outside?"

He thought for a moment. "Outside, but in the building. The windows probably kept outdoor noises out, right?"

"Yeah. Maybe not as completely as these."

None of them could come up with what it might have been.

* * *

Pete saw Cameron enter. "Say, Doc, need me to drum up support for ya?" he asked.

She nodded. "Thanks, Pete. That'd be great."

"Allison has lots of support already." Anna sipped her champagne.

Pamela smiled. "She's certain to be our newest council member."

Anna gasped. "I don't feel so well."

"Come lie down in one of our guest bathrooms." Cameron took her arm and led the way, with Pamela following.

"Is there anything I can do?" Pamela asked. She looked at the glass she was carrying. "Was it the champagne?"

"I hate to ruin this lovely dress, but let me examine you," Cameron said. "Pamela, go get House." She could probably handle this herself, but wanted a second opinion on whatever the diagnosis.

Pamela approached House even though he was deep in conversation with Wilson and Anderson. "House, Allison needs you in one of the guest rooms. Something's wrong with Anna."

"There goes your latest scheme," Wilson muttered. He and House followed the distraught woman.

"Not completely," House replied before focusing on the problem at hand.

They found Cameron still examining Anna. She looked up when they entered. "She said she's been having periods of weakness, but they've gone away, so she didn't do anything about them."

"Anna, are you dizzy? Nauseous?" House asked.

She shook her head. "Not now. But if I turn too fast I sometimes lose my balance."

"Her eyes are reactive and clear," Cameron said. "Pulse rate is on the low side and everything else I've been able to determine are typical for a woman her age.

House nodded. "Wilson, be useful. Check her peripheral nerves."

Wilson hesitated but then asked, "Do either of you have tuning fork?"

"A what?" Cameron was so taken aback by the question. "Oh, I see what you mean, but I'm afraid I don't have one."

"Be right back." House was gone for less than two minutes, returning with a tuning fork. Everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows, but Wilson got to work with it, checking Anna's reflexes and peripheral nerves.

"Everything's fine," Wilson declared.

With that part of her examination over, Anna felt a lot better. "Pamela, bring me my purse."

"I think you left it with your coat in the other guest room with your coat." Pamela left.

"What do you need?" Cameron narrowed her eyes.

But Anna shook her head.

"You only take a statin for high blood pressure." Cameron ticked off on her fingers. "And levothyroxine for your thyroid. So I doubt it's any medication."

"It's not." Anna smiled. "I have something for both you and Dr. House. A kind of housewarming gift."

Pamela returned with a huge handbag and needed two hands to give it to her friend.

Anna looked inside, grinning when she pulled out a package about three by three inches. "Open it."

Cameron exchanged a glance with House and peeled off the flowery wrapping around a white box. She took the cover off the box and her mouth fell open. When she could close it again, she said, "Anna, this is one of your favorite possessions." She held up a miniature clock for all to see and then handed it to House.

For once he was at a loss for words. He ran a finger around the face.

Cameron hugged Anna. "Your husband gave that to you."

"And now I'm giving it to you to ensure you spend many happy moments in this house."

"We'd be happier if we knew why you haven't been feeling well." Cameron took her hands. "My recommendation is that you enter the hospital for a full battery of tests, more than either House or can do in our offices."

She nodded. "I will, but not until after the election."

Cameron pursed her lips but let it go. Anna was a grown woman who'd been taking care of herself for many years. Still. "I'd like to see you in the clinic Monday morning. At least, let me do a few preliminary tests."

"Better still, come to my office," House said. "We have more testing equipment than Cameron,"

Anna smiled. "I can spare the time for that."

"Rest here for another half hour," Cameron said.

"Maybe fifteen minutes," Anna countered.

Everyone else returned to the party, which for many meant the kitchen.

Anita had joined her boss. "We didn't ever find the person who stole the ballot box, did we?"

Anderson shook his head. "Once we had replacement absentee ballots, the board of elections let it drop."

"All it did was delay the election. I can't understand why anyone would do that."

* * *

The team were finally ready to leave the hospital. Every test they did on Les confirmed their three-pronged diagnosis: sleep agnea, allergies and a TIA. They didn't know what had caused the TIA, but that could wait.

Anaya had arrived at the hospital half an hour before and even contributed to their discussion about next steps.

But it was time to leave for the home and then the party.

Magnani closed his laptop and stowed it in his messenger bag. Simpson went to get his own from the patient's room.

"You know…" Hadley began, opening her computer. Her brow was furrowed as if she had a half-formed idea.

Magnani stopped her. "It'll wait."

"You're right. Are we ready?" she asked, closing her computer definitively.

Together, the four young doctors left the hospital.

A few folks were already leaving House and Cameron's home when the team and Anaya arrived.

"Wow." Jacobs looked around with large eyes.

"I knew it would be awesome, but not this awesome." Magnani found the kitchen and the food. He realized how starved he was after their day at the hospital.

Simpson and Anaya continued to wander from room to room. The library was occupied by lots of books and three teenage girls.

Simpson introduced them to Anaya, and they were suddenly very shy. But Hannah managed to ask, "You took care of my brother, didn't you? Jacob Briggs?"

"Yes. How's he doing?" Anaya asked.

"Running around out there somewhere. I'm just glad I don't have to babysit him and my sister tonight."

"What're you reading?" Anaya tried to see the covers.

Each of the girls held up a book and read off the title.

"Treasure Island," Chrissy said.

Hannah's book was Little Women, and Rachel's was Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

"Classics. I like that."

"In school, we tend to read more contemporary books. Nothing wrong with that, but you hear about some of these old titles and wonder what they're like."

"Ever read A Wrinkle in Time?" Anaya smiled. "That series is one of my favorites."

Simpson chimed in, "I've always loved Ivanhoe."

Jacobs found them there. "Looks like you girls have found the perfect spot to be for this party, but the three of us will have to go mingle with the other guests." Jacobs motioned to the two other doctors to come with her. "See you later."


	74. Chapter 74

Here's another chapter. I'll be away for a long day weekend beginning Thursday and returning late Monday night, so I won't post a chapter next week, but I'll be back the next Monday.

 **Chapter 74.**

Cameron quickly was caught up in a conversation with Carol and Sharon, but Pamela was free to slip away after half an hour and check on Anna. She found her friend sitting up.

"It was the weirdest feeling, not like any I've had before in all my seventy years." Anna stood with one hand on the bed to steady herself. "And now it's gone."

"You'll listen to the doctors, won't you? Go into House's lab and get yourself checked out?"

Anna smirked. "Yes, Mother."

Pamela shook her head. "I'm serious. I'll come and take you myself."

"Oh, don't worry. I intend to follow up on this."

They walked slowly out of the room and down the hall, wandering through the house and admiring all the individual touches.

"I particularly like the central garden," Anna smiled. "So quiet and peaceful."

"I'm afraid our houses couldn't accommodate something like that. Pity." Pamela touched her friend's arm. "Feeling better?"

"Oh, yes. It seems to come over me every once in a while. I promise to visit House's office on Monday. Right now, I'm enjoying this party."

"I'm ready for a bit more wine." Pamela led the way back into the noisy house and straight to the kitchen.

"Mom, I didn't know where you'd gone off to," Sharon said at the sight of the pair.

"Anna didn't feel well. She's doing better now."

"And I'd like to hold that little one for a bit." Anna reached for Bryan.

Carol gladly handed him over.

"I don't get to see my grandchildren enough," Anna said. "Are you enjoying the party?" she asked the baby. He just gurgled and she laughed.

* * *

House found Curt in the kitchen eating chips loaded with salsa. "I hear Steve still doesn't remember anything."

"Nope," Curt said around a mouthful.

"You know, there are medical ways to trigger memories, drugs and procedures."

Curt swallowed. "I doubt Steve will agree to any of them."

"It almost sounds as if you don't want him to remember."

Curt shook his head. "His memories hold the key to several mysteries, not the least of which is who killed Harve."

"Who do you think did it?"

Curt shrugged. "Beats me. Unless he was as guilty as they say and his partners thought he'd exceeded his usefulness."

"Guilty of what?" House expected he knew, but was more interested in what Curt said.

"Didn't you know? He was a double agent."

House narrowed his eyes. "You seem sure of that."

Curt smiled. "Dr. House, in this business, you suspect everyone. But in Harve's case there's proof. Confidential, but proof."

House nodded and left him to his chips.

* * *

Wilson cornered Steve in the family room, staring out the window to the backyard. "Nice site they picked."

"All the time I was here before, I was in bed and never got to see the place." He smiled. "I'd like a spread like this myself someday."

"Planning to continue with the agency?"

Steve shrugged. "If they'll have me. An agent who can't remember why he was clobbered or by whom can't be trusted to complete a job."

"House said your latest setback was due to a self-administered dose."

Steve's cheeks flamed and he bit his upper lip.

Wilson chuckled."That's a move I'd expect from him."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he was always doing stuff that was self-harming. Not so much anymore. I think he had a death wish."

Steve shook his head. "You don't think I do, do you?"

Wilson shrugged. "I don't know you well enough to think anything. I've just been wondering what motivated you."

"Um." Steve looked at the floor as if he'd find something to say in response but he didn't answer.

* * *

Jess finally found Cameron in the den talking to Hadley and her team about their patient. She stood in the doorway. "Allison, can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure." She turned to the other doctors. "Excuse me. I'll be thinking about your dilemma and be back later." She motioned Jess to follow her to one of the guest bedrooms.

Away from prying eyes and ears, Jess said, "You may realize why I wanted to see you."

"House and Wilson are up to their old tricks."

"Or at least a new version thereof. Any idea what's brewing?"

Jess shook her head. "Not in the slightest. But Chief Anderson is involved, so it can't be frivolous."

"Yeah. That's what I'm thinking."

"I'm almost surprised Anita isn't involved." Cameron smirked.

"Why do you say that?" Jess tilted her head.

"I have a feeling it has to do with the oversupply of agents in town, including the team's patient."

Jessica nodded. "And you wonder if Anita can get them to talk to her about it."

"Great minds think alike. I think she's in the kitchen with Naomi and Carol."

"Let's go talk to her."

They left the bedroom, but on the way to the kitchen, one of the guests waylaid Cameron to talk about the guest bathroom fixtures. She urged Jessica on with a flick of her head.

Jess nodded and charged on. Anita was out in the inner courtyard with Diane Bancroft and Naomi. "Where's Carol?"

"She went to feed Bryan," Naomi said. "Diane was just telling me how much she likes what we did with our offices and your living space in the Hanbury Street place."

"All settled in?" the real estate agent asked.

"Yes. It's very comfortable," Jessica said.

"Just the right size for us compared to some of the apartments we looked at," Anita smiled. "And Naomi's made the office very homey."

Naomi smiled. "Nobody wants a doctor's office that's too austere."

"Anita, I wanted to ask you a question. Cameron wanted to come with me, but she got shanghaied by someone."

Anita's eyes narrowed. "What did you want to know?"

Jessica glanced at the others then back to Anita. "Have you been able to get the other agents to talk to you about why they're here? So many of them?"

Anita laughed. "That's question number eight on the list that they will not answer, but I have my ideas."

"Care to share?"

She looked at the other two women. "Excuse us a few minutes. I need to talk to Jess about this in private."

The two of them reentered the house and found a quiet spot near the back door.

"I suspected Curt of foul play for a while mainly because he's always been devious. Never could trust him. But this time, I think he may be as puzzled as we are." She pursed her lips. "Did Wilson reveal the identity of his patient to you?"

"No, but I assumed it was some kind of D.C. bigwig."

Anita nodded. "That's what I think, someone in the cabinet or a senator or representative."

"Who doesn't want anyone to know he's sick."

"Right." Anita sighed. "Anyway, Remy's team's patient is an agent who knows him as well as way too many other people."

"Including Curt and Steve," Jess guessed.

Anita nodded. "And Remy and me."

"You mean…?" Jess was surprised.

"Yes, we were, at different times, of course. I think we can trust Les."

"Which leaves Steve. But he's always seemed squeaky clean. A victim, for goodness sake. Right?"

"Except he faked his drugging. Does he really not remember what happened to him at Lorelei's? His story and the bits he claims to remember don't add up."

"So, let me get this straight. He may have killed Harve?"

Anita nodded. "And Lorelei's grandparents."

"What does that have to do with Curt being here? Or, for that matter, Remy and the team's patient?"

"Curt may have been sent to check up on Steve, and Les is here to check on both of them."

"Wow." Jess shook her head in wonderment. When she stopped, she asked, "So, how do we prove it?"

Anita sighed. "That's where I'm stuck."

"We thought you could talk to each of them."

"Don't you think I've tried? Frankly, at this point, they're all unreliable."

"Even Les?"

Anita nodded.

* * *

"What did you find out from Curt?" Wilson asked House.

"Next to nothing, but reading between the lines of what he told me, either he's the killer or he was sent to check up on Steve."

Wilson nodded. "Steve's being circumspect too. He seems more slippery than a snake."

"You think Steve the culprit."

"He's hiding something. Couldn't come up with a reason someone would break into his car after all this time. Couldn't explain why he drugged himself."

"The car break-in isn't unheard of. I mean, it was sitting there for weeks. A random thief could think that was an opportunity."

"But, you don't think it was someone random."

"I have to go over the timing, but the team's patient is at the top of my list for that particular event."

"Looking for…?"

House shook his head. "Only the person who broke in and Steve know."

"And Steve isn't talking.

"Yup. It's one of the reasons I doubt Steve's innocence, but it doesn't prove he killed anyone."

"Now what?" Wilson crossed his arms.

"Now, we wait and see what our suggestions to certain people lead to."

A twinkle invaded Wilson's eyes. "I have a better idea. Let's swap."

* * *

Cameron's opponents for the council seat arrived. Overton sneered as he looked around, but Garcia's mouth fell open and he gasped.

She smiled at them both when she spotted them. "Mr. Overton, thank you for coming."

"I was surprised you invited me." The same haughty tone he used during the debate.

"Why shouldn't I? Just because we're political rivals does mean we can't get to know one another."

"This place is something else again," Garcia said. "Was Will Davis your contractor?"

"Yes." Cameron wondered if inviting them had been a mistake. What could they make of the fact that Will designed and built the house, or for that matter, the money they'd spent on making it the home they wanted?

She was saved from talking to them on her own by the appearance of Pamela and Anna. Edna was with them.

"Hello, Frank. Sam. All set for the election?" Pamela asked.

"Looking forward to it." Overton snickered and thrust out his chest all the while glaring at Cameron.

She maintained her composure, but inside she was seething. To hide her annoyance, she turned to Anna. "Feeling better?"

"A little."

"Maybe you should sit."

"That's what I keep telling her," Pamela said.

They looked for a quiet place to sit, losing Frank Overton and Sam Garcia along the way.

* * *

House and Wilson switched targets, but House wondered what approach he could take to get more information from Steve. He seemed to suspect Curt but his responses were inconclusive.

"He's been hounding me to remember, but I can't," Steve said. "Why doesn't everyone believe that?"

"Because there's no medical reason you don't remember. It's been well over a week since you were attacked. Hasn't anything come back to you? Do you at least remember how long you watched the building from your car?"

Steve shook his head.

"Think about sitting in your car. Did you eat or drink anything?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Because if you remember that, you might remember why you got out of the car, why you entered the building. Did you see something or someone that shouldn't be there?"

Steve sighed. "I don't even remember watching the building."

"Okay, lets go back to earlier. Do you remember leaving the motel or the diner?"

Steve rubbed his face. "I remember finding Harve's body at the motel."

"Go on. That was a couple of days earlier."

He shook his head. "Nothing." But then, "Maybe driving to Snow Hill, but for the life of me, I can't tell you why I did."

House wasn't ready to give up. He had finally gotten Steve to try and remember. "You're in your car. You've seen the building where Lorelei's apartment is and where you parked your car. Picture both again, then think back to a time you were there before."

Steve took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He blinked. "I remember being in my car, parking."

"Good."

"Is it?"

"You got out at some point. Why?" House thought there was a fifty-fifty chance that the man was acting, but even so, what he said would reveal his intentions. Would he implicate Curt? Someone else?

Steve shook his head slowly.


	75. Chapter 75

I'm back with another chapter. Thanks everyone who's commenting on my story.

 **Chapter 75.**

House leaned against a dining room wall, waiting for Steve to remember more about being in the car at Lorelei's apartment building.

The agent seemed to be trying, but it might have been an act. No way to tell yet.

"Someone appeared and entered the building, You thought they were going to the teenager's apartment," House prompted.

Steve shook his head. "Wasn't it. I don't think I ever saw anyone go in. The curtains or blinds or something." He narrowed his eyes. "Something in the window changed?"

"You knew which apartment it was?" House asked, although he wasn't surprised.

Steve nodded. "I had to… " He slapped a hand to his mouth.

"You had to what?" House wouldn't let him get away with it.

"Harve and I searched the place after the kid left." He frowned. "That was the last thing we did together."

Time to get him back on track. "So, you saw something in the window."

Steve nodded. "I got out of the car." Steve held both hands shoulder high, palms facing House, then turned them both to look at them as if they held the clue to Amelia Earhart's disappearance. He shook his head. "I don't know what happened after that, except I remember a noise, not water running or a motor starting up, but something like a cross between those."

"And then what?"

He closed his eyes. "And then nothing."

House didn't buy it all, but expected there was a grain of truth in the tale. Steve couldn't have come up with it himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wilson was chatting with Curt in the den. "Great house, huh?"

"Yeah. Someday, when I have the cash, I'd love something like this." Curt pointed to the wide-screen TV, recliners and sound system.

"You know Anita doesn't trust you." Wilson waited for a reaction. "What happened between you to cause her to be wary of you?"

Curt shrugged. "It was a misunderstanding. We were on a mission together, and I guess I let her down. I wasn't there when she needed me."

Wilson was sure there was a lot more to it, but he let it go. "Were you sent to Shelby to keep an eye on Steve?"

Curt nodded. "And to find out who killed Harve." He made a point about arriving in the town after the murder, but there wasn't anything to prove it either way.

"Any suspects?"

He grimaced. "The further along we are, the more time has passed since he was killed, the harder it is to follow the trail of the murderer. But there aren't many who could have done it. Steve has an alibi, right? He was with one your friends at the time."

"That is, if the murder took place while he was with Cameron and Jessica, looking first for House and then for Harve." Wilson put a finger to his lips while he thought. "But it could have occurred any time between when they had breakfast and the time he was found."

"That's true." Curt shrugged. "Unfortunately, there were no prints at the scene. The cleaning people who found him had been very thorough earlier. Whoever killed Harve had to have worn gloves."

Wilson tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Do you know what time that was?"

"What?" Curt looked puzzled.

"When they cleaned the room."

"Oh, around the same time as Harve and Steve had breakfast at the diner. Enough people saw them that we can only narrow the time of death to between then and when Harve's body was found." Curt sighed. He seemed genuinely stumped.

Wilson was disappointed that he hadn't learned more from Curt. He was worried all the questions might have put the agent on his guard.

* * *

Pamela held Bryan in her arms. Although she was only indirectly related to the baby, through marriage and adoptions, she played with him as if he was her grandchild, smoothing the front of his sailor-inspired onesy and his soft cheeks.

Carol looked on with a grin on her face. "Mrs. Bradford, he's warmed to you more than he has to my mother."

"Please call me Pamela." She smiled back. "He is a good baby. No squawking or fussing."

"I guess he's used to having lots of people around and especially if they're focusing on him," his proud father said.

Sharon brought over a cracker for Bryan to gum. "Rachel loves to babysit him."

"If you ever want to leave him with me, I'd be willing to watch him," Pamela told Carol.

Carol smiled. "He's in daycare for the time I'm at work, but I'll be happy to take you up on that." She glanced at her husband with a smile.

"Just remember, I get first dibs," Sharon said.

They all laughed.

* * *

Will and Seth wandered out to the interior courtyard. "This house is drumming up lots more work for us. Are you game to start another project next week?" Will asked.

"Sure. Where?" Seth enjoyed working on this house.

"Closer to the dock. The land owners just got permission from the council to build two groups of townhouses there. We've got the contract." Will chuckled. "Good thing it happened before the election or someone would claim collusion, that I wanted to be mayor so the council would send work our way."

"I wouldn't be surprised to see more construction out toward the dock."

Will waved an arm, "House and Cameron own such a large piece of property, they're protected from encroachment by developers."

"Unless those developers try to buy the land from them."

Owen Marshall joined them. "Did you tell your brother about the townhouses you'll be building?"

Will nodded. "Yes, we were just talking about it."

"Do you think you'll have time for mayoral duties once you get started?" It was an obvious question for Owen to ask, but still smacked of disbelief.

"I can depend on my foremen," Will said, "including Seth."

Seth grinned.

* * *

Edna and Anna found a quiet spot toward the rear of the house, out of the flow of people.

"Feeling any better?" Edna studied her friend.

Anna was still pale, but moved with more ease. "A bit. I may have been dehydrated, because two glasses of water have helped."

"Ready for the election?"

"Mostly." Anna smiled. "They're already counting the absentee ballots. Thanks for helping to set up the polling places and volunteers to staff them."

"I'm always happy to help, especially this year." Edna took a sip of Scotch and swallowed. "Allison will be a great addition to the council."

Linda Talbot passed by but then stopped and turned toward them. She still wore her waitress apron. "Mrs. Eisen, heard you took a turn earlier."

"Much better now, Linda. Thanks." Anna smiled. "Who's minding the diner?"

She grinned. "Zach is. Mo prepared lots of food he could dish out. He put a sign on the motel office door, tellin' potential customers where to find him. For this occasion, he let us leave and bring Chrissy along."

* * *

House was finally able to get some of the food. The roast beef quarter sandwiches were as tasty as they looked, but what he really enjoyed were the crab cakes. He'd forgotten how much he liked the staple of Maryland restaurants.

Pete approached with an empty plate. "Gotta get me some more of them crab cakes."

"Long as you leave some for me," House said then bit into one.

Pete nodded. "I'm surprised Mo doesn't have 'em on her menu."

"Maybe because everyone else does." House hadn't seen the chief cook at the diner for a while. "You can suggest it."

"Or, maybe she don't know how's to make 'em."

"Do you?" House asked in surprise.

Pete loaded his plate up again. "Sure, Mom taught me how an' I made 'em for my mates. Some had never had any, can you believe it?"

* * *

Cameron and Hadley strolled through the house and stopped periodically to talk to a few of the guests. They eventually reached the library where they found the three teenagers reading.

Rachel smiled when she spotted them. "Dr. Cameron, we wanted to ask for permission to come here."

"Yes," Chrissy said. "It's better than the town library and much better than the one in the school"

She smiled. "Of course, you can. Just give us a call to make sure we're home."

"What are you reading?" Hadley asked.

The question sparked a conversation about books, including recommendations from the doctors to the girls.

"We have a lot of those books here." Cameron pointed to the stacks of boxes near the only empty shelves. "I haven't unpacked them all. If you ever want to borrow one, let me know."

A chorus of, "We will," was followed by teen giggles.

* * *

Anita found House talking to Steve again in the backyard. Although it hadn't been planted yet, a table, chairs and two lounges sat on the paved deck. The men sat at the table deep in conversation, House smoking a cigar, but she didn't hesitate to join them.

"I just spoke to the chief." She sat in one of the vacant chairs. "The medical examiner says Harve died at 9:30 from two gunshots to the heart."

House nodded. "That confirms what we all thought, that he died between breakfast and when he was found."

"And I was looking for him with Cameron and Jessica," Steve said.

Anita and House studied him.

"What?"

House pointed his cigar at Steve. "He could have been shot before you started your search."

Anita nodded. "You didn't start looking until almost lunchtime."

"Well, yeah, but…" He couldn't seem to think of what objection he could have. "I didn't shoot him."

"Can you prove it?" Anita smirked.

He shook his head and frowned. "I'm worried they'll think I did it, but I didn't. You have to believe me, Anita, and tell Curt and the others so."

House's eyes narrowed. "What others?"

Anita wanted to know that too but only asked, "Where does Les come into this?"

"Wish I knew." Steve shook his head but didn't say another word.

* * *

Mo enjoyed her conversation with Naomi about House's new practice, but it was time to go. "Don't want to leave Zach in charge of the diner for too long. Have you seen my daughter?"

Naomi hadn't seen the girls for a while. "I think she's with mine and Rachel."

Together the women strolled through the house looking. Along the way, Linda joined them. They found the girls in the library with Cameron and Hadley.

"Mom, you should see all the great books they have here," Chrissy said. "And Dr. Cameron says we can come back and borrow them."

"And how do you girls think you'll get all the way out here?" Mo asked.

Chrissy shrug the objection off. "Rachel will get her driver's license soon."

Hannah showed the copy of _Little Women_ she'd been reading to her mother. "Have you ever read this? It's amazing."

Naomi laughed. "Sure, I read it when I was about your age."

"Why don't you take it home and read it," Cameron suggested. She and Hadley followed Chrissy, her mother and aunt to the door, leaving the others in the library.

"Glad they could come," Hadley said.

"Yeah. Mo never leaves the kitchen and Linda's always at the diner, but I knew they wouldn't stay long." Cameron looked around the entryway. "Guess I better stay here for a while to say good-bye as people leave."

"I'm off to find Anita and more of those crab cakes, not necessarily in that order." Hadley walked toward the kitchen.

A knock at the door signaled Dr. Carter's arrival. Cameron greeted him warmly. "There's food in the kitchen. Jessica's around somewhere, and so is House."

He nodded and walked on.

Soon after that, Carol, Seth and Bryan came to the entryway, ready to leave.

"Gotta get home and feed this little one. Amazing house. Seth told me what it was like, but seeing it in person was fabulous."

And as soon as they were out the door when Pamela and Anna appeared. "I'm taking Anna home. She needs to rest."

"And I'll see Dr. House on Monday so he can figure out what's causing my dizzyness."

"I'll hold you to that." Cameron hugged them both and let them leave. There were still dozens of people wandering through the house.


	76. Chapter 76

I've been told to not end a chapter with characters going to sleep, but since you can't turn the page for the next chapter, I guess it's okay.

Chapter 76.

Steve stared at Cameron. "Dr. Cameron, I didn't expect to see you… that is, of course you're here, it's your house after all… I mean, that is, um, great party. Love the house. Gotta go."

"Leaving so soon?" She suppressed a smile.

"Yeah, um, feeling tired. You know, since I'm still recovering."

"Of course. Well, thanks for coming." She opened the door for him. "See you around for a little while longer, I guess."

"Yeah, yeah." He rushed outside with a wave.

Cameron called after him, "Do you need a ride?"

"No. Have my own car." And he was gone.

She couldn't wait to tell House and Anita about his behavior. Maybe they could explain what it meant. Meanwhile, she stood near the front door, saying good-bye as their guests left.

HHH

House, Anita and Hadley had their heads together whispering about what they'd learned that evening. It wasn't much.

"Curt's been behaving himself," Anita said. "Of course, he's implied that Steve isn't on the up and up."

"And Steve's implied the same about him." House scratched the back of his head. "I still want to talk to Les. Do you think you can arrange it?" he asked Hadley.

"I don't see why not. We'd welcome a visit from the great Dr. House," she smirked.

He smiled. "The team's not doing too badly without either of us."

"Like you always did, I only step in when they come to me frustrated that they don't know what else they can do. Truth is, they're good at doing anything I can think of before they even darken my door."

* * *

Simpson and Chatterji had found the interior courtyard. Other people drifted in and out, but they sat on a bench near a small replica of a humpbacked bridge over the rivulet. The water made soothing sound as it trickled over rocks and must be recirculated by a pump.

"I love this place," she said. "Could stay here all day."

Simpson nodded. "I'm not surprised the doctors wanted a house like this."

"Guess they can afford it." She smiled. "Maybe some day."

"It could be a bit lonely all the way out here, far from town." Simpson had always lived in a city. Even Shelby was quieter than any place he'd lived before.

"But it's so peaceful." She sighed contentedly.

He took her hand. "Glad you were able to come to the party with me."

She smiled at him. "Me too. It's been fun, and this is an amazing house. I'm glad I got to see it."

"I suppose, when you spend years as a doctor, eventually you can afford a place like it." Simpson wasn't holding his breath until he could.

"Didn't you tell me House headed a department?" she asked. "There are a lot more bucks from a job like that than you or I can earn."

"Yeah, especially when we still have student loans to pay off."

* * *

Jessica was glad to see Dr. Carter had made it to the party. She noticed he was talking to Will, but he finished that conversation and stepped closer to her.

"Who's watching Bruno?" He sipped something bubbly.

Jessica replied, "He's comfortable enough in our place that I thought we could leave him alone for a few hours. Maybe I'll bring him a treat when we go home."

Dr. Carter frowned. "I hope you're not planning on keeping him."

"Why not?" Her forehead creased.

"If you start adopting every animal that comes into the clinic that's been abused, your apartment will soon be overflowing. And I doubt it's that big."

She shook her head. "James and I talked about it. We've agreed to limit it to Bruno. He needs a home. In the future, if there are more animals that need one, I'll work with the SPCA to find them a family. Speaking of families, where's your wife tonight?"

"Nancy is just getting over a cold." He smirked. "I'll have to tell her what a great party she missed."

"She also missed the opportunity to see this house."

* * *

After Chrissy left with her mother and aunt, Rachel and Hannah went to get something to eat in the kitchen, clutching their books. Surprising them both, there was still lots left on the trays.

"Guess everyone was busy exploring the house to eat," Rachel said as she grabbed a plate and surveyed the food.

Her friend chuckled. "I think they ordered lots extra so there'd be leftovers for Dr. House."

"You do have a point."

They each filled a plate with mini pizzas and barbecued meatballs. Rachel pointed to the veggies. "Guess we should eat a few of these."

Hannah shrugged. "I'll take carrots and pepper strips. Not a fan of celery though."

"I like the peas. Used to eat the pods, too." Rachel slit one open and ate the sweet peas inside.

Naomi appeared in the doorway. "There you are." She smiled at Hannah. "We should go now and pick up your brother and sister from the sitter."

The teen put her already empty plate down. "Okay. Bye, Rachel. See you in school." She took her book, and she and her mother went to retrieve their coats. They said good-bye to Cameron, who still stood in the entry hall, and went out the door.

With all her friends gone, Rachel joined her parents across the room near the appliances. "Dad, I love this house. When are you going to remodel ours?"

Sharon chuckled. "Do you feel like the shoemaker's children?"

"Huh? Is that one of those old tales?"

"Come to think of it, I don't know. It's just something people say about the families of busy people where the father or mother make things for others but not their kids."

Rachel smirked. "Yeah. Perfect description."

Will laughed. "Okay, where should we start?"

Sharon immediately said, "Kitchen," while Rachel not surprisingly said, "Library."

"But we don't have a library." Will looked confused.

"Exactly. We should. Can't we convert the living room that no one uses into a library?"

"Not a bad idea," Sharon agreed. "And it'll be simpler than the kitchen." She looked her husband in the eyes. "Not that I'm giving up on the idea of modernizing the kitchen."

* * *

The crowd was thinning out by eight o'clock. Jessica joined Cameron in the hall.

"Any idea what happened to House?" Cameron asked.

"Last I saw, he and James have their heads together in the den. They'd just called Anderson over to discuss something."

Cameron shook her head. "I knew he'd use this party for his own purposes."

"But if it's to find out what happened to Steve and why, and who killed Harve, as we believe, where's the harm in that? Anderson doesn't seem to have a problem with them helping him."

"What about Anita?" Cameron expected the ex-agent wanted in on the investigation or maybe already was involved.

Jessica shook her head. "She isn't with them, but she and Remy talked to House earlier."

Diane Bancroft walked toward them. The real estate agent must have arrived while Cameron was tending to Anna, because she hadn't realized she was there.

"Dr. Cameron," she said, "if you ever get tired of this place, I'm sure I can get you a great price on it."

"Thanks, but I think we'll stay for a while." Cameron hoped a long, long while.

Diane didn't miss a beat. "And the Hanbury Street house has also been transformed."

"It's great," Jess said. "Our apartment is perfect and so is the other one. Dr. House's office is amazing."

The realtor grinned. "That's what I like to hear. Happy customers. Well, good luck with the election, Dr. Cameron."

Cameron never knew what to say when people told her that so she settled for, "Thank you."

Diane drifted away.

* * *

House and Wilson indeed had their heads together. They were working out the timeline for the day Harve was killed, but also when Steve was attacked.

Occasionally, they had to consult with Chief Anderson on what he knew about the actions of both Steve and Curt.

"Do we know what Steve and Harve argued about during breakfast?" Wilson asked.

House grimaced. "Steve says Harve was ready to leave, but Steve wanted to stay in Shelby. But Steve is hardly a reliable source based on other things he said."

Wilson lowered his voice from a loud whisper, "Is it possible that he staged the attack and is only pretending to have amnesia?"

"I've wondered about both of those myself." House's forehead creased. "So many things about his story and what he claims to remember don't ring true."

"I asked him where he went after breakfast with Harve. He claims he went to his room, but then, when he talked about looking for Harve, he had returned to the room and Harve wasn't there. If he was in his room, where was he returning from? Did he go out? And if so, where?"

"The only one who knows is Steve and we can't trust what he'll say." House was glad Hadley agreed to let him talk to Les. The agent might be able to explain a lot of what they were still missing.

* * *

Anita and Hadley joined Cameron and Jess. "Looks like most of your visitors are gone," Hadley said.

"The party's winding down." Cameron smiled. "I think it went well."

"Of course it did," Anita said.

Hadley patted her stomach. "Good eats too."

Jess pointed toward the back of the house. "Your new boss is still here," she told Anita. "Consulting with House and James. Surprised you didn't join in."

"We talked to House earlier. I've got my own theories about the subjects of their discussions. Don't want them contaminated by wild speculation." Anita smirked. "I'll add more ideas to the mix in due time."

"Steve left, rather abruptly. He was very nervous. But Curt's still here," Cameron said.

"And that speaks volumes to me about their relative guilt."

* * *

By ten-thirty, all the guests were gone. House and Cameron met in the kitchen to survey the damage to the platters of food. Almost half of what they ordered was left.

"Still lots for you to munch on." Cameron took out freezer bags to load with leftovers.

House grinned and grabbed a couple of pickles before she could take them. He snacked on mini pizzas and knishes while he watched her work.

"Did you and Wilson get anywhere with Steve and Curt?" she asked, rather than accuse him of using the party to gain information.

House raised an eyebrow. "Our conclusion is that Steve's been lying. We just don't know how much of his story is true or if he killed Harve."

"What about the attack on him at Lorelei's?"

House nodded. "That may have been staged, but then again, faking it would have required someone else to help him."

"He cut out before most everyone else," she said. "Did you say something to him to make him nervous?"

House looked at her with his 'who, me?' expression.

She shook her head. With the visitors gone, she was free to wander through the house, picking up discarded paper plates and cups, a glass or two, and a scarf someone must have left. She'd have to find out who it belonged to. The trash went into a large black bag.

She came across House again, stretched out on a recliner in the family room, one last plate of food sitting beside him.

He picked at it with closed eyes, but she believed that meant he was thinking back on what he'd learned that evening. Probably not all of it had to do with Steve's attack and Harve's murder, but he'd find a use for everything.

"I'll toss the garbage in the can in the garage and come back to join you," she said.

He nodded, only half hearing what she said. They were close to proving Steve was lying, but how far his lies went was still a mystery. Did they have to go back to Lorelei's grandparents' murders to find out what Steve did and who his accomplice was? Much as Anita distrusted Curt, House now believed he was innocent of any wrongdoing and wasn't lying about anything.

Cameron returned. "I should wrap any remaining food and put it away, but I'm just too tired." She stretched out on the other recliner and closed her eyes. Happy the party had gone well, but happier it was over. Tomorrow she could think about the coming election and the nail lady's suit.


	77. Chapter 77

Next week is Thanksgiving. I'll be spending the week plus a few days at my daughter's place, so the next chapter won't come until December. Hope you all enjoy this one.

Chapter 77.

Sunday morning, Cameron woke to find House was gone from the bed. She found him in the kitchen, making omelets using a few leftovers from the night before. Strange combinations like green peppers, grated hard cheese, and strips of pastrami. He was already dressed.

She poured herself a cup of coffee. "You're up early." He already had his mug on the table, but it was empty, so she filled it.

House turned one half of the omelet over. "Hadley said I could talk to the team's patient. No time like the present, or at least an hour or so from now."

"If you make it 'or so', I can be ready to join you." She smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. "I have a question or two for Les myself." She sat at the table and sipped her coffee. "Make mine with mushrooms and cheese."

The omelets were light compared to some of the food they had the night before, with the right amount of salt and pepper. They finished breakfast, and Cameron quickly showered and dressed. They had to see a man about a spy or two.

* * *

Wilson and Jessica were out early, walking Bruno.

"Hope we don't have to confront Mr. Carruthers again." Jessica held on tight to the leash since the dog was following a scent and pulling her forward. It turned out to be the remains of a dead animal, maybe a bird, so they pulled the dog away from it quickly.

"Bruno, we'll get you something better." She pulled the dog in the opposite direction. "James, where's the nearest fast-food hamburger place?"

Wilson pointed. "There's a McDonald's on Palmer, I think. Will that do?"

She nodded. It wasn't a far walk. Bruno picked up the scent of greasy hamburger before the humans. Jess left him with Wilson at an outdoor table and entered. She got two plain burgers for Bruno, and while she was at it, cheeseburgers for herself and Wilson. Once outside again, she put one of Bruno's treats on the ground close to him. It hadn't been long since they'd had breakfast, but she and Wilson ate theirs. By then Bruno had devoured the first burger and Jess fed him bits of the second, smiling at how much he enjoyed it.

* * *

"How 'bout you take your nose out of that book," Linda told her niece.

"Sorry." Chrissy smiled. "It's such a good one."

Her aunt pointed to a booth with only one occupant. "Well, Mr. Holder over there looks like he's ready to order."

"He's one of the agents who used to work with Anita, right?"

"Yup. Now git." Linda gave Chrissy a slight shove.

"Okay." The teen used a napkin as a bookmark and left her novel on the shelf below the counter. She picked up an order pad, the freshest pot of coffee and approached Steve. "What can I get you?" She filled his coffee cup.

He looked at her with one raised eyebrow. "Where's the other waitress, the older one?" He looked past her.

"Linda's waiting on another customer." She pointed to her name embroidered on her apron. "I'm Chrissy."

"I'd like the full breakfast, scrambled eggs, sausage links, and pancakes."

"Did you want any toast or hash browns with that?"

He hesitated before saying, "No, thanks."

She took his order to the kitchen door. She wondered if she should talk to him when she returned with his food, but decided against it, especially when the diner filled up.

* * *

Simpson looked from the patient to the door to the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't your boss tell you I'd be dropping by to chat with Les?" House was sure she hadn't.

A chorus of 'no's' came from the team.

Cameron ignored them all and approached the bed. "You're looking better than the last time we saw you."

Les smiled at her. "Thanks, Dr. Cameron. I understand you had a wonderful party last night. I would have been there but for being confined here until these doctors find out what's wrong." He smirked at them.

"We brought a few of our leftovers for you to try." She placed a bag of food on his tray table and wheeled it over. The bag covered the entire surface.

"Not for you," House told Simpson, Jacobs and Magnani. "You had enough last night."

Cameron began taking out paper plates filled with delicacies and six empty ones.

"I didn't see those mini-egg rolls." Magnani reached for one despite House's statement.

House swatted at his hand with the cane.

Sheepishly, Magnani pulled his hand back and held it with his other one.

Cameron frowned at House before smiling at the young doctors. "Let's let Les have first crack. I brought enough for everyone."

"You trying to butter me up or something?" Les laughed as he filled a plate with two of the mini-egg rolls and lots of other items. "You even kept these all hot."

"They're better that way." Once she saw he was satisfied, she handed a plate to each of the young doctors. "What can you tell us about why you were in Shelby?" she asked Les.

He swallowed and said, "Things I can't tell you. Critical for security, you understand. But, as you've already surmised, Curt was sent to check on Steve and find out who killed Harve." He turned to House. "Same gun that killed the spies."

"Lorelei's grandparents? That figures." House shut up to give Les silence to fill.

He ate a mini pizza and then resumed. "Curt's not always dependable, but in this case my boss thought he was trying. There's someone else, at least one other person we don't know about."

"Steve's actions are definitely questionable?" Cameron said.

"Oh, definitely. You know about the other patient in the hospital?"

"Wilson's patient," House guessed.

Les nodded. "Dr. Wilson didn't tell you who he is?"

House and Cameron shook their heads, while Jacobs and Magnani exchanged glances.

"Suffice to say, one of his staffers tried to meet Steve, talk to him, we don't know why."

"How do you know?" House tilted his head.

Les shrugged. "Orderlies and nurses talk."

"You bet they do," Magnani said.

Cameron caught her lower lip in her teeth. "When you've been diagnosed and treated, your job here isn't over, is it?"

"Not by a long shot. It's turned into a much more complex job." Les filled his plate again. "That must have been some party last night." He resumed his story and told them what he knew about Steve.

* * *

Hadley and Anita sat in their living room, rehashing the night before, this time from the perspective of who they saw talking to who.

Hadley had her feet tucked under herself. "I wasn't surprised to see Anna, Pamela and Edna together, or Will and Sharon talking to Seth and Carol. But when Owen Marshall joined the first group, and Pete joined the second, it was jolting."

"They all know each other," Anita said. She held a steaming cup of black coffee in her hands. "Owen's on the board with Anna and Pamela, even if they don't always agree."

Hadley nodded. "I guess. And everyone's Pete's friend." She laughed. "Okay, I take it back, it wasn't that shocking."

They both laughed.

"Are you ready to tell Anderson and, of course, House what your theories are?" Hadley flipped through the Sunday paper and pulled out the Entertainment section, but she didn't open it.

Anita shrugged. "It can wait another day."

Their doorbell rang and Hadley answered. "I thought you were going to the hospital today."

"Oh, we did," House walked in without being invited.

Hadley sighed. "May as well come in," she told Cameron.

Anita stood. "I assume Les told you something you couldn't wait to tell me."

House and Cameron exchanged a glance. "Can we trust him? Believe what he says?" House said.

"He's been dependable whenever I've worked with him, but I don't know him well enough…"

Hadley shook her head. "Oh, Anita, who are you kidding? We both know Les is one of the good ones." She turned to House. "What did he say?"

"He was sent to find out what Curt had discovered. Harve's murder was part of the spy investigation. And guess what? He was shot with the same gun as Lorelei's grandparents."

Anita nodded. "Anderson told me. They sent him the forensic report."

"None of this is surprising. Why'd you have to come here with lame intel like that?" Hadley turned to the kitchen. "Want some coffee? You can tell us the rest then."

"Only if you have something to go with it." House entered the kitchen before her and opened the refrigerator. Sneered, then tried the cabinets. He smiled and took out two boxes of Girl Scout cookies.

Hadley took out a tray and reached for them, but he turned his shoulder and held them as far from her as possible. "Get your own," he said.

Cameron laughed but stopped when she saw the look on Hadley's face. Pure rage.

"You never change, do you?" Hadley said, adding a grrr to emphasize her point.

"Cut it out, you two," Anita said. "I want to hear what else Les told them."

"Let them play." Cameron motioned they return to the living room. "I'll tell you."

Anita and Cameron sat on the couch, and Cameron related what else Les said.

"That fits in with what I've been thinking," Anita said. "I still don't trust Curt, but he wasn't Steve's accomplice. Somehow, Wilson's patient ties into this. Oh, he's not the one who helped Steve, but someone on his staff did."

"He's some kind of Washington bigwig and he has members of his staff with him."

"Exactly. You heard about what happened in the Garden?" Anita asked.

"Yeah. At first I thought Les was there to meet Steve, but maybe it was the patient."

"Exactly."

"Les said at that point, he thought Curt made him ill, but now he's sure it was Steve," Cameron said.

"If only we could talk to the mysterious patient."

Cameron shook her head. "I think Wilson discharged him already."

"He's gone?"

* * *

Chrissy watched as Steve left the diner. He got into his car and drove south. Nothing she could do about it, but she took out her phone and called Rachel.

"What's up?"

Chrissy lost sight of Steve and turned away from the window. "That Steve guy came in for breakfast and now he's heading south. Think he might be going to the hospital?"

"The hospital isn't the only thing in Snow Hill. Maybe he's going farther, Virginia or something."

"I guess. Is there someone I should tell?" Chrissy asked.

Rather than answer, Rachel said, "Is anyone else at the diner? House and Cameron or Anita and Remy?"

"Nope. None of them came in this morning. Maybe they slept in, which is what I wish I'd done."

"Late night?"

"Yeah. With the characters between the covers of my book."

Rachel laughed. "Same here."

"Stop deflecting." Chrissy finally got to use the great phrase Cameron said to House fairly often.

"You want to know who to call. Start with the police chief. I have a feeling he'd appreciate it.""

Chrissy checked to see if anyone needed her, but the breakfast crowd had emptied out. "I'll do that right now. Thanks, Rach." She ended that call and made another to Chief Anderson.

He answered on the first ring. Was he always in his office? Chrissy quickly conveyed what she saw.

"Thanks, Chrissy."

* * *

Anderson had a man set to follow Steve, but Dixon wasn't on duty yet. The chief should have had someone out at the motel earlier, but hadn't believed the agent would be up so early on a Sunday after a party. Big mistake. Anderson called Dixon and relayed what Chrissy told him. With luck, Steve hadn't gotten far.

They knew his car and, worst case, could put out an APB on it. Everyone Anderson spoke to the night before believed Steve had killed Harve, or knew who did, and was a person of interest in everything that had happened.

Once he had Dixon on the case, he called Anita. She picked up on the second ring. "New developments, Chief?"

"Chrissy Lindquist saw Steve drive south half an hour ago. I sent Dixon after him."

"He may be going to Snow Hill Mercy," Anita said. "He'll be disappointed if he is."

"Why's that?" Anderson wondered if he had the whole picture.

"We think his accomplice was there, but left. I can confirm that and then head to Snow Hill."

"Do that. Keep me informed."

Anita turned to Cameron. "You heard my end of that. Steve's heading south."

"And since the patient's discharged, his staff left with him," Cameron said. "I'll call Wilson and confirm. Go tell Remy and House. They'll want to come along."


	78. Chapter 78

I'm back with another chapter for you all.

 **Chapter 78.**

House, Cameron, Anita and Hadley drove to Snow Hill in silence at first, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Hadley broke the silence, "You're sure Steve's going to the hospital?"

"He probably doesn't know Wilson's patient was discharged yesterday morning," Cameron said.

Hadley accepted that. "Do we have to keep calling him that? Wilson's patient?"

"We don't know his name," Anita pointed out.

House sped up. "Wilson will keep that secret even if it kills him."

Cameron shrugged. "Doctor-patient confidentiality, but also, according to Wilson, a matter of national security."

"That's BS." House grimaced. "Wilson just likes to keep things to himself."

"House, he's sworn to in this case." Anita shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Someone in Washington will have to prove that national security is best served if the agency knows the name of the patient and those of his staffers.

Hadley's eyes narrowed. "Are we sure it isn't the patient who Steve wants to meet?"

"We're not sure of anything, at this point," Cameron said.

"Except that Steve's been lying."

Hadley took out her phone. "Should I alert the team to be on the lookout for Steve?"

Cameron hadn't thought of that. "Might he try to silence Les?"

"It's a possibility." But Hadley didn't act on that.

House parked in his old spot in the doctors' part of the parking garage.

Hadley sneered at him but said, "I suppose no one's here to object on a Sunday. You could have used my space."

"My car likes this one."

They entered the hospital and all, except Hadley, signed in as visitors. The man at reception narrowed his eyes at House and Cameron. "Wait, weren't you here earlier today?"

"We liked it so much, we came back," House quipped.

The man stared at them all as they walked to the elevator.

"Should we have flashed a picture of Steve, asked if anyone had seen him?" Cameron asked.

Anita shook her head. "We'll do it at the nurse's station."

Hadley led the way on her floor. She stopped briefly with the duty nurse. "Jeannie, have you see this man?" She held up a photo of Steve on her phone.

Jeannie shook her head.

They continued on to Les' room. He was alone. "What's up?" he asked. Maybe it was the serious and determined frowns on their faces.

"We were afraid Steve might come for you," Anita explained.

He nodded. "You think he's here, in the hospital?"

"Yes," she said.

House tapped his cane. "The only other person he might try to talk to is an aide to Wilson's patient."

"The senator. Yeah. He may have tried to meet him before. But haven't they left?"

House mouthed, _a senator, huh?_ "Steve doesn't know that."

"Or maybe by this time he does."

"I'll check if he's been in Oncology," Cameron said.

"I'll go with you." House headed for the door.

"And we'll stay here with Les." Anita looked at Hadley, who nodded.

HHH

Chrissy was so busy with the lunch crowd she almost forgot Steve's behavior. But when she delivered meatloaf to Wilson and a chef's salad to Jessica, she said, "Where is everyone today? Only one who was here for breakfast was that Steve guy."

"Alone?" Wilson scanned the diner but didn't see him.

"He went south afterward." She grinned. "I told Chief Anderson."

Wilson nodded. "Thanks, Chrissy."

"Did you enjoy the party last night?" Jess asked.

The teen grinned. "Especially after we found the library. So many great books. Rachel, Hannah and I have permission to visit whenever we're looking for something else to read."

HHH

Steve barged onto the oncology floor of the hospital and went straight to the nurse's station. "Which room is the senator in?"

"What senator?" The nurse looked at the wild hair and blazing eyes of the man in front of her and silently pressed the security alert button that would call a guard. She shook her head. "We don't have any senator here."

"Senator Carmichael. Dr. Wilson's patient." Steve couldn't get the words out fast enough.

"He had a private patient here until yesterday morning." She looked past Steve for the appearance of the guard. "Is that who you're talking about? I didn't know he was a senator." Keep him talking.

"He left?"

"Sure. Dr. Wilson discharged him yesterday. Did you know he had two or three of his staff members with him at all times? In addition to hospital security staff." She shook her head. "Knew he had to be some big shot." She smiled, either to disarm Steve or because she saw the guard.

The large man in uniform came up behind Steve. "Can I help you."

Steve's face paled. "No. No, I was looking for a patient who already left." He turn to the nurse, "Thanks for your help," then made a beeline for the elevator.

"Was it really necessary to call me?" the guard asked the nurse.

"He was a little too intense for my liking. You get to spot someone who's over the edge."

"I'll make sure he leaves the hospital." The guard headed to the elevator Steve took a minute earlier. But before he reached it, the doors opened and House and Cameron came out.

"Excuse me." The guard walked around them.

"We may need you."

"Sorry, gotta catch a nut job."

House and Cameron exchanged glances that said, "the 'nut job' had to be Steve." They got on the elevator with the guard.

Cameron described Steve as a five foot ten inch slightly-built male with nondescript brown hair and eyes, and the guard nodded. "That's who we're after too," she said.

"He's either going after Les or leaving for D.C." House guessed.

"Fifty-fifty."

"We'll try Les."

"Hadley and Anita are already there. My money's on that senator's aide."

Cameron called Anita. "Steve may be headed to you."

"Already here," she said in a strained voice.

"Come with us," Cameron told the guard when they reached the floor where Les's room was.

HHH

Steve had burst into Les's room but pulled up short when he saw Hadley and Anita.

It was Les who said, "What do you want?"

"Answers."

"About what?" Les crossed his arms.

"What does the agency know that they're not telling me?" Steve asked.

"I repeat, about what?" Les shrugged. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Why are you here?" Steve demanded.

"In the hospital?"

"No. In Shelby, now in Snow Hill," Steve pointed to Anita. "Working with her."

Les rubbed his forehead. "I could ask you a few questions too."

"Not until you answer mine."

Les nodded. "Boss sent me to get you and Curt to finish up here. You've been working on this case for too long. For one thing, what did you find out about Harve's murder? He wasn't even sure if one of you killed him."

"Harve was a double agent."

"Yes. That's one thing we know," Anita said.

"And the old couple were spies for Russia," Les said. "Maybe even involved in tampering with our elections."

Steve nodded. "They were."

"You weren't really attacked near Lorelei's apartment, were you?" Hadley asked.

Steve stared at her but didn't answer.

She stared right back. "How much do you remember?"

"And the biggest question," Anita added. "Whose side are you on?"

"Look, I already admitted to drugging myself a few days ago."

"The lady asked you a question." Anita's voice took on a commanding tone. "What do you remember?"

Steve actually gulped. "Almost everything."

"Did you arrange to be knocked out?" Les asked.

Steve's eyes darted to the window then the door but eventually settled on Les. "Not exactly arranged."

"Then, what verb would you used?" Anita crossed her arms.

"I kinda suggested to… to someone if they knocked me out, I would become a victim." He rubbed his head. "He went a little overboard."

"Does this 'he' have a name?" Les stared at Steve.

Steve shook his head. "I can't tell you. If I do—." He pressed his lips together.

No amount of cajoling could get him to reveal more.

"Let's see what you say in court," Anita said. "I'm arresting you on a charge of falsifying a report to the police."

"Actually, doesn't a Snow Hill PD officer have to do that?" Simpson asked. The team had arrived during the conversation and stood by listening to the entire exchange with a mixture of fascination and astonishment.

Anita laughed. "Technically, but since the two PDs work so closely together, I can arrest him. Just in case, though, let me make a call."

She walked toward the door and, in a voice the others couldn't hear, she first called the Snow Hill PD and then the Shelby PD. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Steve make a run for the door, but Jacobs and Magnani each grabbed an arm and kept him from fleeing. "We can add resisting arrest to the other charges," she said out loud. Technically, it was a stronger charge than any others the police could make.

A defeated Steve slumped in Jacobs and Magnani's grasps. They sat him in a chair, and the three doctors circled it. Anita approached to stand in front of him. "They'll be here in fifteen minutes to take custody of the prisoner."

"I want to call my lawyer," Steve said sullenly.

"Didn't know you had one, or even knew one." Magnani stared at Steve's back.

"You'll be read your rights and given a phone call," Anita said. "Don't you worry. But while we're waiting, why don't you tell us everything you know about Curt."

HHH

House, Cameron and the guard arrived before the police.

"Shelby PD is on the way," Anita told them. "Steve's starting to spill, gotten to his opinion of Curt."

"Thought Curt wasn't a suspect for any of this," Les said.

House nodded. "Yeah, that's what we thought."

Anita crossed her arms. "Steve? Anything to say?"

Steve surveyed the people surrounding him and sighed. "Curt's okay. I doubt he killed anyone, that is."

She chuckled. "And you're claiming neither did you."

"Not another word until I speak to an attorney." Steve zipped his lips.

"Now what?" Simpson asked.

"Now we let the police handle it." Anita turned to Les. "Unless there's someone else we should call." She lifted an eyebrow.

He swallowed. "No. You got this. I'm just gonna lie here while these youngsters decide what's wrong."

Simpson exchanged a glance with Jacobs and Magnani then nodded slowly. "Okay, Mr. Colombo. We have two more tests to run. Just relax and we'll have you up and out of here in no time."

"What about the aide to the Washington bigwig?" Cameron asked Anita.

"Yes, glad you mentioned that." Anita looked from Les to Steve and back again. "Can either of you tell me who he is and what he has to do with all of this?"

Jacobs nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Colombo, who did you expect to meet in the Garden if not the man's aide?"

"Actually, I expected to find Steve talking to Palmer," Les shook his head. "That's the assistant to...well, to Wilson's former patient."

House mumbled, "The senator."

"Steve, did you meet with Palmer?" Anita asked.

Steve grimaced. "Never had a chance. He was one of Harve's contacts, thought he might know something."

"Was he crooked like Harve?"

"No, just fed him intel. We all have our sources, you know."

Two uniformed policemen from the Snow Hill PD appeared in the doorway. The older-looking one consulted a piece of paper. "We're here to collect Steve Holder."

Anita grinned. "You're welcome to him." She indicated which of the many people in the room was Steve. "I'm from the Shelby PD." She showed her credentials. "The two departments are working together on this."

The cop nodded. "That's what I hear. We'll book him."

"It might be on your paperwork, but the current charge is resisting arrest. There'll be other charges and other agencies involved later on."

Steve's face drained of all color. It had finally sunk in that he was being arrested.

HHH

After lunch at the diner, Wilson and Jessica spent an uneventful afternoon at home until Wilson's phone chimed. It was his former patient.

"Hello? Is something wrong?"

"Is this Dr. Wilson?" a female voice asked.

"Yes, it is. Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry, this is Suzie Carmichael, the senator's wife." Sobs punctuated her words. "He had a headache all day, but it got worse and now he's having trouble speaking, keeps slurring his words. What should I do?"

"Is his doctor available?" Wilson tried to maintain a comforting tone while his mind ran over the procedure he'd performed on the senator. "Nothing I did was anywhere near the part of his brain that controls speech."

"I can't reach his doctor. Please, Dr. Wilson. You must come here or at least tell me what to do."

"The best thing would be to have him med-flighted back to Snow Hill Mercy. I'll meet him there." Wilson throat tightened. "I'll arrange to have an ambulance take him to Dulles and have a helicopter pick him up from there."

"Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much."

He made the calls then turned to Jessica. "I have to return to the hospital."

Jess nodded. "I'm going with you. If Mrs. Carmichael comes with him, I'll stay with her while you determine what's happening now."


End file.
